Tyrese Haliburton Excited for Return to Iowa State

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyrese Haliburton will make his first official return to the court in preseason action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Ames, Iowa at Hilton Coliseum.

After spending two seasons with the Cyclones, Haliburton entered the 2020 NBA Draft and said goodbye to a city and state that is near and dear to his heart.

Six years later, Haliburton will once again play in front of the great fans of Iowa State. Returning to the place he not only met his wife but also proposed to her during the 2025 offseason will make this a special game, even if it is only the preseason.

After practice on Tuesday afternoon, Haliburton spoke about returning to Ames, Iowa and how much say he had in it happening.

"Yeah, I would say it was my idea," Haliburton said. "It's pretty easy when your GM is also from Iowa. So, once you put that in his ear, he was excited about it."

Haliburton revealed that he didn't have much to do with planning the event once he suggested it.

"I haven't been really involved in anything to be honest," Haliburton shared. "I might have said I would like to play in Ames at some point and they were able to get done. So, I think the cool part about the preseason is a lot of teams play different places."

Haliburton is so ready for the opportunity to play at Iowa State again, he revealed that he would have stayed all four seasons if his draft stock wouldn't have changed.

"If it was up to me, if I could have, I would have stayed in college for four years," Haliburton said. "I love Iowa State. I'm excited to go back. It obviously has a lot of special memories for me.

Being able to share these special memories with his teammates is another reason why this trip means so much to the Pacers franchise star, and he's already planned a special dinner for the team at Aunt Maude's.

"I'm excited for everyone to experience Hilton Coliseum," Haliburton said. "Especially guys like T.J. (McConnell), who went to Arizona, (and they're) now in the Big 12, and see what it's like. I'm taking the guys to Aunt Maude's steakhouse, it's the best steakhouse in Ames."

Giving Back to the Community

This is more than a game for Haliburton. It's about giving back to a community that gave him so much. Nobody understands the importance of giving back to a community lack Haliburton and this is a special way for him to do so.

According to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, Haliburton purchased every single ticket in the student sections and gave them out for free. This was something he did behind the scenes without public recognition.

Haliburton is hoping this NBA game has a college-like environment. The game is officially sold out and all 14,267 seats are accounted for.

Where You Can Catch the Game

You can watch the game locally on the new home of the Indiana Pacers, DAZN. Or if you are out of market, the game will be aired on NBA TV.

The radio broadcast can be found on the Pacers flagship station: 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan.

The game begins at 7:00 PM EST.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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