After leading the Indiana Pacers on an impressive playoff run last season, Tyrese Haliburton faced an unexpected and humbling experience during the Paris Olympics. For the first time in his basketball career, Haliburton was benched for the majority of Team USA’s games.
Fans frequently poked fun at Haliburton’s limited minutes, but rather than pushing back, the Pacers star leaned into the jokes. He joined in the online humor after Team USA went on to win the gold medal.
In a recent interview with Jamal Collier of ESPN, Haliburton openly acknowledged the difficulty of the experience. The Pacers star called it an “ego check.”
“Although Haliburton knew he wasn’t one of the headliners on a Team USA squad with some of the greatest players of his generation and the one before, he said being stuck on the bench for nearly the entire Olympic Games was an ‘ego check,’” Collier reported.
Hali admits that barely playing for Team USA was an "ego check" but he decided to join the jokes 🤝
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 23, 2025
(via @JamalCollier) pic.twitter.com/Yr2pmpUkNR
Despite playing along with fans online, Haliburton admitted the benching was more than just a minor disappointment. He then revealed how the Olympic experience fueled his determination heading into the new NBA season.
“I’m getting clowned. How do I respond? When the season starts, I’m like, ‘I’m going to go now,‘” Halliburton said.
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Tyrese Haliburton Reflects On All-Star Struggles
Following the Paris Olympics, Tyrese Haliburton faced another setback as his performance declined during the All-Star Game. In the interview, Haliburton opened up about the disappointment he felt during that time.
“It got to the point where all that conversation was weighing on me in a negative way for the first time in my life, which was weird. I have been somebody who seeks out that external negativity, and now it’s weighing on me,” Haliburton said.
Thankfully for Haliburton, that difficult chapter is now behind him. Haliburton is once again steering the Pacers with poise and brilliance. Now, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers are up 2-0 in the series against the New York Knicks, and Haliburton is playing some of the best basketball of his career.
