It just so happened that in Netflix's season two of Starting 5, the streaming service was lucky enough to follow Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton around. As fun as it is to relive what was a historic Pacers season, it was just as fun to learn more about who Tyrese is off the court.
In episode 2, Haliburton and his now-fiancée, Jade Jones, talked about their relationship. Haliburton called Jade "the love of his life" and "an unbelievable human being."
Their love story began at Iowa State, when Haliburton was on the basketball team, and Jones was a cheerleader. She went to watch him at a tournament that the cheer team didn't travel to because she still wanted to support Tyrese. He said he was unsure if she was really interested in him, but that changed after Jade texted him, saying he was "doing amazing" and that he looked "so good out there."
Haliburton said that was Jones' first time "openly flirting" with him, which led to their first date at Chick-fil-A. Well, they got Chick-fil-A and ate in the apartment parking lot. After that, they watched High School Musical. On their second date, they watched High School Musical 2. Guess what they watched on their third date? High School Musical 3.
It makes perfect sense that their song is "Can I Have This Dance" from High School Musical 3.
Haliburton proposed to Jade Jones over the summer
It checks out that Haliburton is a High School Musical kind of guy, and that's said with admiration, not as a dig. Do you think Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez will be able to make a one-song appearance at Tyrese and Jade's wedding? And will there be Chick-fil-A? Those are the important questions.
All joking aside (even though those weren't necessarily jokes), the series gives a special glimpse into a side of Tyrese that most people don't get to see. The same goes for Jade. She's turned into a beloved figure in Indiana herself, from trash-talking opposing fans during the playoffs to supporting her good friend Caitlin Clark and the Fever.
Little did she (or Tyrese) know that their days at Iowa State would one day lead them to Indianapolis, where Haliburton would be the NBA's most clutch player and lead the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. The season ended in heartbreaking fashion, but Tyrese and Indiana will be back.
According to science, the High School Musical soundtrack helps you bounce back from an Achilles injury stronger than ever. Eating Chick-fil-A does, too. Based on how many points Tyrese has on the Chick-fil-A app, he'll be better than ever when he makes his return.