Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Tyrese Haliburton

Tyrese Haliburton has quickly become one of the NBA’s premier playmakers, combining elite court vision with efficient scoring and an unselfish style that elevates everyone around him. His creativity, basketball IQ, and ability to control the pace of a game have established Haliburton as the leader of a rising franchise and one of the league’s brightest young stars.

Here’s a detailed overview of Tyrese Haliburton’s personal and professional details:

  • Full Name: Tyrese Haliburton
  • Nickname: Hali, The Mayor (of Indianapolis)
  • Nationality: United States
  • Age: Born on February 29, 2000
  • Hometown: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
  • Height: 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm)
  • Weight: 223 pounds (101 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 8 inches (203 cm)
  • Shoe Size: 14 (US)
  • Shoe Brand: Puma All-Pro Nitro, Nike Kobe 6 Protro, Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro
  • Jersey Number: 0 (Kings), 0 (Pacers)
  • Position: Point guard / Shooting guard
  • High School: Oshkosh North High School, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
  • College: Iowa State Cyclones (Iowa State University)
  • Draft: 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings
  • NBA Teams:
  • Trade History: Tyrese Haliburton Trade History
  • Rings: 0 NBA Championships
  • Game Stats:
  • Parents:
    • Father: John Haliburton (basketball referee and former women’s basketball coach)
    • Mother: Brenda Haliburton
  • Siblings:
    • One younger brother, Marcel
    • Two older brothers from his mother’s previous marriage
  • Children: No publicly known children
  • Cousins:
  • Faith: Christian; actively practices his faith
  • Interests: WWE fan; has appeared at several WWE events
  • Career Earnings: Tyrese Haliburton Contract History

Tyrese Haliburton’s player archetype is a pass-first lead guard who dictates tempo through elite playmaking and perimeter shooting. Standing 6-foot-5 with a lean frame and long arms, he uses his length to disrupt passing lanes and generate steals, even if his greatest defensive value comes from anticipation rather than physicality. Haliburton thrives in transition, consistently rewarding teammates with hit-ahead passes while creating efficient half-court offense through pick-and-roll reads and deep three-point range, despite his unconventional shooting motion. He rarely forces difficult shots, preferring to manipulate defenses until an opening appears, and that patient, unselfish approach has made him the offensive engine behind one of the NBA’s fastest and most productive attacks.

Scouting Report

Tyrese Haliburton controls games with timing more than force, and that’s the first thing you notice. He rarely rushes a possession because he’s constantly manipulating defenders into showing their hand before delivering the pass that was available two seconds earlier but becomes far more damaging after one extra dribble or hesitation. His handle isn’t built around explosive separation, yet he consistently creates angles by changing pace, snaking pick-and-rolls, rejecting screens, or dragging the low man just far enough to open a lob or weak-side skip. He’s just as comfortable throwing one-handed passes from awkward platforms as he is relocating for catch-and-shoot threes after giving the ball up, which makes him unusually difficult to load up against. The trade-off is that physical defenders who can crowd his handle and take away his rhythm can disrupt his scoring aggression, and there are stretches where he’d rather create a good shot than force his own. Defensively, he does his best work by anticipating actions before they develop, jumping passing lanes without completely abandoning team structure and using his length to bother handlers from the side or rear, although stronger guards can move him off his spots and force help rotations. What stands out to me is how naturally he strings possessions together; one advantage flows into another because he understands spacing almost instinctively rather than simply running the offense that’s called. That’s why he fits best beside finishers who dive hard, wings who relocate instead of standing still, and lineups willing to play with pace and constant off-ball movement. His style shares elements with Steve Nash’s ability to orchestrate an offense through tempo and manipulation, while also echoing Lonzo Ball’s hit-ahead vision and willingness to move without the basketball after initiating the action.

Notes:

  • It surprised me when Tyrese Haliburton was traded to the Indiana Pacers for Domantas Sabonis because he was already a budding star. But there are more reasons why this trade was made. Domantas Sabonis’s father, Arvydas Sabonis, was an NBA legend in his prime.
  • Tyrese Haliburton averaged 20 and 10 two seasons in a row (2022-23 and 2023-24).
  • Similar players to Tyrese Haliburton include Devin Harris.

Fun Facts

  • He played on the Team USA men’s basketball team during the 2024 Paris Olympics but didn’t get much court time due to injury.

Photos

Tyrese Haliburton celebrating for Iowa State University Tyrese Haliburton dunking for the Sacramento Kings Tyrese Haliburton playing for the Iowa State Cyclones Tyrese Haliburton on the Iowa State Cyclones

Player Insights

Player Update: Tyrese Haliburton strengthened his standing as one of the NBA’s premier point guards during the Indiana Pacers’ 2025 Eastern Conference Finals victory over the New York Knicks. New York frequently assigned Mikal Bridges—its top perimeter defender—to Haliburton in an effort to disrupt Indiana’s offense, yet he continued to create efficient scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. His ability to control the pace, break down an elite defensive scheme, and lead the Pacers to the series win underscored his value as the focal point of Indiana’s attack. That performance reinforced Haliburton’s reputation as one of the league’s most impactful offensive engines in high-pressure playoff basketball. (Written 6/5/2025)

Player Overview: Tyrese Haliburton’s career took a significant leap after the Sacramento Kings traded him to the Indiana Pacers during the 2021-22 season. Given full control of Indiana’s offense, he quickly developed into one of the NBA’s elite playmaking point guards, combining exceptional passing with efficient three-point shooting and low turnover rates. Although his versatility allows him to play alongside another ball handler when needed, Haliburton is most effective as a full-time point guard, where his ability to orchestrate the offense and elevate the players around him is most impactful.

The Pacers have a lot of potential this season but I fear they will blow it, mostly because I don’t think they will continue to develop Bennedict Mathurin properly. We saw Mathurin buried on the bench in 2023-24 and being played at small forward, which is not his natural position. Mathurin is a shooting guard, and he has the potential to be one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. If the Pacers don’t make proper use of him this year, they not only may ruin his career but their own chances at being contenders. (Written September 3, 2024)