Before the Los Angeles Lakers’ rollercoaster 2024-25 season, the organization’s 6-foot-9 superstar LeBron James competed with Team USA in the Olympics.
Although James, who will be 43 in 2028, likely won’t be around to participate in the next installment of the Olympics, he felt compelled to share his experience playing alongside a standout Indiana Pacers guard last summer.
“He’s (Tyrese Haliburton) a great player and a great kid,” James said on the Mind the Game podcast on Wednesday. “It didn’t matter if he was playing (in the Olympics) or if he got the opportunity, he was the same guy every single day. And you could see his mainframe was soaking in all the knowledge and the details being around all of us.”
“He was just super appreciative every single day. He never changed his mood. When we had practices and were doing five-on-five, and there was a practice where some of the older guys didn’t go that day, he was ready to go."
"If it was a moment in the game where he was called, he was ready to go. Every single day, it was the same person, joking, laughing, and high-spirited.”
It couldn’t have been easy for Haliburton to embrace a limited role with Team USA. The Iowa State product is a flamboyant star who enjoys reminding his naysayers that he’s a high-level player.
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With Steve Kerr possessing a loaded Olympic squad, however, Haliburton found it challenging to make a noticeable impact on the hardwood. The two-time All-Star averaged 2.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 14.8 minutes per game in four contests.
Conversely, James was a key contributor for Team USA during their memorable Gold Medal run, averaging 14.2 points, 10.2 assists, and 8.2 rebounds per contest at age 39.
Judging by James’s compliment about Halliburton's attitude, though, it seems as if the 2020 first-round pick’s positive energy played a significant role in Team USA’s successful summer in Paris.
The basketball gods are rewarding Haliburton’s team-first approach in early June, as the Indiana Pacers are preparing to compete in the NBA finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder after winning 12 of their first 16 playoff games.
It’s nice to know that James’ potential final rodeo with Team USA was pleasant, thanks to the Pacers’ electric point guard.
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