Reggie Miller Believes Tyrese Haliburton Will Lead Pacers To Championship One Day

NBA icon Reggie Miller believes Tyrese Haliburton will lead the Indiana Pacers to a championship one day. 

Miller, who spent his entire career with the Pacers, is a huge fan of Haliburton.

“I really do believe that he can carry this team to a championship,” Miller said, via Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. “He brings people together. If you watch Tyrese play, it’s never been about him. It’s been about us. What can we do to win tonight? I think he would be happy with four points and 24 assists and the victory as opposed to a 40-point game in a loss.

“The way his teammates look at him, they look at him like they look at LeBron (James), they look at him like they look at (Nikola) Jokic, they look at him like they look at Giannis (Antetokounmpo). Like we can do anything with this dude out there. And I see that.”

Haliburton is averaging 21.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 11.7 assists this season while shooting 49.2% from the field, 40.0% from beyond the arc and 85.3% from the free-throw line. He’s second in the NBA in total assists and first in assists per game. 

The Pacers are 31-25 on the season. They are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Indiana is looking to make the playoffs this year for the first time since 2020. 

The Sacramento Kings drafted Haliburton with the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Iowa State. Haliburton was traded by the Kings to the Pacers in February 2022 and has blossomed into an All-Star. 

The Pacers signed Haliburton to a five-year, $204 million extension last summer. Haliburton is averaging 20.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists since getting traded to Indiana. 

During an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Haliburton said he hopes to retire with the Pacers.

“But I feel like I’m obligated, at the same time, to protect this organization,” Haliburton said. “And I’m a part of this long-term. I hope to be a part of this for the rest of my career. So, it’s just a natural fit for me and it just feels like home. Everything feels like home. My family lives in Indy as well. It’s easy for my friends to hop in the car, tell me they’re coming the night of and just drive down for a game. It’s only five hours, which is nothing to Midwest people. It just fits so naturally and that’s why I love it.”