Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton unveils lofty goal with Team USA

As Team USA prepares for their semifinal bout against Germany in the FIBA World Cup, Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton remains in the spotlight.

Haliburton has consistently found himself in headlines, as his top-notch play has been one of the focal points of Team USA’s run thus far – and he’s not even a member of their starting lineup.

While coming off the bench, the Pacers star has averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 62.5% from the field and 56.0% from behind the three-point line.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton reveals ultimate goal with Team USA Olympic squad

With how dominant Haliburton has been, some have even called for him to earn more minutes. And during a recent exclusive interview with Olympics.com, Haliburton revealed his ultimate goal with Team USA.

“My dream would be to be able to play three Olympics,” Haliburton said. “That would be the goal, but obviously I’ve got to play one first.

As the youngster noted, his first goal will be to play in the Olympics for Team USA, but it’s clear he doesn’t want to stop there. He wants to become a mainstay on the Team USA roster moving forward, with the goal of appearing in three Olympics.

At just 23 years old, Haliburton has plenty of prime years ahead of him. He’s one of the best playmakers in the league already and just wrapped up his first-ever All-Star campaign with the Pacers.

There’s a ton of talent in the NBA right now, especially when it comes to American-born players, so Haliburton won’t be able to just waltz onto the Olympic team moving forward. However, with his performance at the World Cup, he’s off to a good start.

Carmelo Anthony currently holds the record for most Olympic appearances by a US-born player with four, while LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been three times. Needless to say, it won’t be an easy feat for Haliburton to appear in three Olympics for the USA.

The easiest pathway for him to do so would be by making the roster in 2024, 2028, and 2032. And by the time that third Olympics rolls around, Tyrese Haliburton will be 32 years old and entering the final years of his playing career.

All in all, it’s great that the Pacers star has goals, and if his performance at this year’s FIBA World Cup is any indication of what he can do on the international stage, Team USA would be foolish not to consider him for the Olympics.