Tyrese Haliburton hosts basketball camp in Indianapolis, talks Indiana Pacers offseason and Summer League
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton signed a five-year, $260 million dollar contract extension with the Indiana Pacers earlier this month. One of the first things he discussed during the press conference to announce the deal was giving back to the community that he will be a part of for the foreseeable future.
"It's really important for me that I'm invested in this community moving forward," Haliburton said last week. "I want to pay back being able to be in this community and be in this environment."
Less than 10 days later, Haliburton proved that wasn't lip service and hosted a Basketball ProCamp in Indianapolis. At The Factory on the West side of the City, Haliburton teamed up with local coaches to lead a camp for children in grades 1-8. The All-Star guard wanted to help them with fundamentals, so they went from station to station working on various things such as cutting, layups, jump shots, passing, and ball handling.
Haliburton loved every second of it. "Just getting kids together. They're going to come out here and do some drills, hopefully play in the next couple days. Just have some fun," he said of the experience. He remembers going to camps growing up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and those memories were formative in his basketball career.
Haliburton held a camp in Westfield, about a half hour drive north from Indianapolis, in the summer of 2022. He had only been with the Pacers for a few months at that time, and he had yet to be named an All-Star or receive a massive contract. But he was still invested in his new community. It's just who he is.
Haliburton has fun being around kids, and he wakes up excited on the days of his camp. He knows that during the season, he could wind up seeing them in the stands at a game, and every interaction is important to him.
"I hope that these kids have a lot of fun and that I get to interact with them as much as possible," he said. "You can see the sparkle in kids eyes sometimes when you talk to them, and that's just the coolest thing."
The 23-year old face of the franchise said he has more community projects in the works. He mentioned outdoor court renovations as one such idea.
Before that, though, he has a busy offseason ahead. He's going back to Los Angeles soon, and not long after he will attend former Pacers guard Cory Joseph's wedding. The two were teammates in Sacramento during Haliburton's rookie season.
Once all that is done, Haliburton will play for Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. That's quite the honor for the young guard, and one he will not take lightly.
In the meantime, he's locked in to his camp and his Pacers duties. Some of that is being a partner with the franchise and chatting about the direction of the team. So far, that has led to transactions that will add to Haliburton's gifts.
The team grabbed Bruce Brown in free agency, a guard/wing hybrid that can fly in transition. That's where Haliburton is at his best, and the Pacers All-Star guard recruited Brown to the blue and gold. Indiana also added Obi Toppin via a trade, but that deal was not official the last time Haliburton was discussing the team's offseason.
Today, he could finally dive in. "I think we have a lot of guys that fit the right way and fit our style of basketball," he said of the Toppin addition. The young power forward was in Haliburton's draft class in 2020, and both players excel in the open floor.
Toppin agrees and shared last week in Las Vegas that he should fit in well with the blue and gold. Head coach Rick Carlisle has often pointed to Brown and Toppin's effective field goal percentages in transition as data points that make the Pacers offseason vision clear. They wanted to add talent that made Haliburton's strengths even stronger.
The Iowa State product shared at his camp that the reshaped Pacers will continue to play fast. They ranked near the top of the league in transition frequency last year, and that should be part of the Pacers' identity in 2023-24.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton speaks with the media at his Basketball ProCamp on July 15, 2023. (Mandatory Photo Credit: AllPacers)
Another part of Haliburton's summer duties involve keeping up with his younger teammate who are currently playing in Summer League. He has to get a feel for their abilities.
"It's been awesome to watch," he said of the summer Pacers. Haliburton did note that the last two games have been tougher, but he's watched every outing and gotten a feel for some of the blue and gold's rookies. He is seeing them play five-on-five in NBA settings for the first time.
It's been a busy, yet thrilling, month for Tyrese Haliburton. He watched his team draft, sign, and trade for new talent. He took in Summer League with his teammates in Las Vegas. He's currently hosting his camp and pouring into the Indianapolis community. And in the middle of it all, he signed a $260 million contract. He is the face of the Pacers, and he wants to repay the franchise.
"I just want to continue to be the best version of myself," Haliburton said last week. As someone who always commits to people, including local youth, he is doing a great job of accomplishing that goal.
- Tyrese Haliburton commits to people. Now, he's committed to the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Bruce Brown can be whatever the Indiana Pacers need him to be. CLICK HERE.
- Obi Toppin discusses joining the Indiana Pacers, how he will fit in, and more. CLICK HERE.
- Jarace Walker exclusive: On his early time with the Indiana Pacers, gaming, development, and more. CLICK HERE.
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