On Tuesday night, Tyrese Haliburton connected on an incredible four-point play to secure an Indiana Pacers victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. This victory moves the Pacers into a tie with the Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings as they (and the Detroit Pistons) continue their battle for homecourt advantage with one month left in the regular season. Additionally, it served as a reminder to the basketball world that the Pacers are legitimate playoff threats.
Haliburton has consistently proved himself to be the Pacers' most valuable player, and this was most evident during the team's surprise conference finals run in 2024. In just his third full season with the team, Haliburton is solidifying his path as a Pacers great. However, he still has a long way to go to reach the top and surpass Pacers legend Reggie Miller. Fortunately for fans, Haliburton is well aware of this and recently made it clear that he is hoping to create a legacy in Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton wants to create moments with the Pacers
As if Haliburton's game-winning shot against the Bucks was not enough for Pacers fans to be happy about, Miller was in the arena as well as the color commentator for TNT. After the win, Haliburton spoke about Miller's presence and said he follows in his footsteps. Additionally, he said he is hoping to "create my own moments" in a Pacers uniform the same way Miller did.
“There's definitely a lot of Reggie moments in this building,” Haliburton said. “And you know, I'm just trying to create some of my own. A big part of being a representative of this organization is that I follow in the footsteps of a lot of greats. And, you know, [I’m] trying to create my own path behind that…Just trying to create my own moments so that the same way that kids and fans looked up to him when he was here, they can look at me the same way.”
Haliburton is just 25 years old and already led the Pacers to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a decade. Additionally, as the Pacers' engine on the offensive side of the ball, the Wisconsin native is incredibly crucial to the team's success. Because of their youth, the Pacers are built to contend for a long time. With Haliburton leading the way, he is on his way to a very successful career in Indiana.
The Iowa State alum is already an Olympic gold medalist, a two-time All-Star, a one-time All-NBA selection, and a one-time assists champion. However, despite his early individual success, Haliburton has made it clear that all he cares about is winning a championship for the Pacers. Even given all the competition in their way, the Pacers have constantly exceeded expectations. If the Pacers win a title with Haliburton at the helm, it would be easy to put him in some historic conversations alongside Miller. Until then, however, Pacers fans will just have to wait and see what Haliburton has left in store.