Tyrese Haliburton sets the record straight on 'superstar recruiting' at Olympics

Last month, Tyrese Haliburton and Team USA earned a gold medal during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite not playing much, the Indiana Pacers star still stepped up when needed and became the first Pacer to win an Olympic gold medal since Paul George in 2016. Additionally, Haliburton seemed to take advantage of his Olympics run even off the court.

Recently, Haliburton spoke with Justin Marville of the Oshkosh Northwestern and revealed that he was attempting to recruit "every guy" on Team USA to join him in Indiana. However, the Wisconsin native also revealed that this was a two-way conversation and that other members of the Olympic team attempted to recruit him.

Luckily for Pacers fans, Haliburton is not likely to go anywhere. In addition to signing his five-year, $244.6 million contract extension that kicks in this season, the Pacers star has embraced Indiana as his new home.

On Wednesday, Haliburton was a guest on The Pat McAfee Show and spoke about receiving recruiting pitches at the Olympics. In speaking with McAfee, Haliburton said he "is not going anywhere" and that anybody who wants to play alongside him would have to join the Pacers roster.

Furthermore, Haliburton spoke about Stephon Marbury's recent sentiment that the Phoenix Suns should trade for him, calling Marbury's comments "weird."

“I'm not going anywhere... The Marbury comment, it's weird. Why does Phoenix need me? They got Tyus Jones... I'm good in Indy, they're good in Phoenix," Haliburton said.

Tyrese Haliburton makes it clear he will not leave the Indiana Pacers at any point in the near future

Since trading for him, the Pacers have excelled with Haliburton as their leader. Last season, the team ended with a 47-35 record, their best since the 2018-19 campaign. Furthermore, they made an Eastern Conference Finals appearance for the first time since 2014. While not exclusively due to Haliburton's presence, he is certainly the biggest reason for the team's recent success.

In addition to helping turn the Pacers into title contenders, the 24-year-old has enjoyed a lot of individual success as well. On top of earning an Olympic gold medal this year, Haliburton has become a two-time All-Star, a one-time All-NBA Third Team selection, and a one-time assists leader in his two-and-a-half-year stint with the Pacers so far.

The sky is the limit for the Pacers and Haliburton. Last season, they finished as the best-scoring offense in the NBA and proved they belong in championship conversations. While a title as soon as next season will be tough, the team has proven their doubters wrong again and again. And as long as Haliburton is leading the pack, the Pacers should always be a serious contender in the East.