Tyrese Haliburton lives out childhood dream with LeBron James and Team USA

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton fulfilled a childhood dream by playing alongside Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard LeBron James on Team USA at the 2024 Olympics and winning a gold medal. He shared photos, sent to him by his mum, on social media of himself as a kid wearing James’ jerseys, next to a picture of them standing together with their Olympic medals.

Tyrese Haliburton also posted a photo of himself wearing a Kevin Durant Team USA jersey as a kid, alongside a picture of them standing together on the court in Paris. He grew up idolizing these NBA stars and was thrilled to share the court with them.

this too lol https://t.co/GNQdzyRovR pic.twitter.com/eJ18iQveHg

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 13, 2024

Although Haliburton didn’t play much in the Olympics, he took it in stride and joked about it after the gold medal game. The experience could benefit him in the future, as older players like James, Durant, and Curry may retire by the 2028 Games.

Haliburton, 24, was the second-youngest player on the team and is already an established NBA star with the Indiana Pacers. He may be on the radar for future Team USA selections, but for now, he cherishes the memory of playing with his childhood heroes and winning the first of many gold medals to come.

Tyrese Haliburton’s limited playing time at Olympics was mainly due to injury

Tyrese Haliburton, the standout point guard for Team USA and the Indiana Pacers, found his time at the Paris Olympics unexpectedly cut short. A minor leg injury sidelined him for much of the competition—a setback revealed by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who reported that Haliburton had undergone an MRI, though the injury was never officially announced by Team USA.

Tyrese Haliburton was slowed in the Olympics by a minor leg injury — Team USA didn’t announce it, but he had an MRI, sources said — and was caught in a numbers game, but he still has a future with the program. Brian Windhorst stated

Despite his eagerness to contribute, Haliburton only played in three out of the six games, where he tallied a total of eight points and two assists across 26 minutes of play. While his presence on the bench was a loss for Team USA, his resilience and commitment to the team’s efforts remained evident throughout the games.

REPORT: Tyrese Haliburton had a ‘minor leg injury’ that kept him off the court during the Olympics, per @WindhorstESPN.

“Tyrese Haliburton was slowed in the Olympics by a minor leg injury — Team USA didn’t announce it, but he had an MRI, sources said — and was caught in a… pic.twitter.com/MPeLKe2E8B

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 12, 2024

However, Haliburton’s limited playing time wasn’t just due to the injury; the Team USA roster was crowded with stars, making it difficult for him to see time on the floor. Even healthy players like Jayson Tatum struggled to earn playing time, with multiple DNPs.

Despite his quiet showing in Paris, Haliburton’s standing with USA Basketball remains unaffected. He was caught in a numbers game, and Windhorst expects him to have a bigger role with the team at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.