I don’t know if it is just me, but every time I turn on the Indiana Pacers, I just want to see No. 0 step onto the court with four other guys for tip-off. Thankfully, there seems to be another route to seeing Tyrese Haliburton during this recovery season, beyond just supporting him from afar.
Even though he is not on the court, Haliburton seems to be making the most of his situation by converting court time into camera time. If done well, this extra camera time might help further solidify him as a face of the NBA for years to come.
The Tyrese Haliburton Effect
Every Pacers fan (and frankly, most NBA fans) knows the effect Haliburton has when he steps on the court. I think he is cultivating a similar effect on the sidelines, but one that is tied more to intrigue than to skill.
Because he isn’t throwing passes off the backboard or leading the team in three-pointers (it still blows my mind that he led Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals in 3-point field goals made), Haliburton is choosing to up his publicity and media presence.
Think less ESPN and more Chick-fil-A. When do you want a chicken biscuit or waffle fries the most? On Sundays. In the same way, we can’t see the two-time All-Star play, so we are clamoring for whatever we can get.
He has brought back his YouTube channel. He sat courtside on the broadcast during the Pacers-Warriors at Gainbridge. He launched the Hali 1 with Puma. He attended WWE SummerSlam. He stopped by "The Pat McAfee Show". And, of course, he is building off of his high visibility in Netflix’ Starting 5 (from last season, but only became available in October).
Next season will bring it all together
The next time Haliburton steps onto the court, whenever that may be, he will have the excitement of his game surrounding him, but also the additional exposure he is giving himself this year. With guys like Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Kevin Dura,nt and many other stars aging or losing a step, the conversation of who will be the face of the NBA will not need to wait for the Wisconsin native's return.
Keeping himself in the spotlight – in any capacity – will keep his phenomenal playoff run, impeccable skill, and MVP upside at the front of mind for NBA fans. While he won’t be the only face of the league, people will remember his face and know that he is one of the absolute best players on the court.