For the majority of NBA followers, whether casual observers or dedicated enthusiasts, Tyrese Haliburton`s rapid emergence as a superstar appears to have unfolded primarily within the last few weeks.
This recent rise includes a tribute to Reggie Miller during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. It also features a nearly flawless performance in Game 4 against the Knicks, where he tallied 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and five steals with zero turnovers. Most notably, there was the game-winning shot with just 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, securing a 111-110 victory and quieting the raucous home crowd at the Paycom Center on Thursday night.
Following the game, Haliburton displayed a charming demeanor in his postgame interviews, a trait often seen in top superstars. He even lightheartedly remarked to ESPN`s Scott Van Pelt, `we were late to the party, too,` after Van Pelt confessed he hadn`t recognized the potential of the Indiana Pacers squad earlier in the season, particularly around Christmas when their record was below .500.
He playfully brought his first signature Puma shoe, launched earlier that day, to the press conference podium, humorously suggesting the new sneakers were the `secret sauce` behind his remarkable success rate in hitting crucial shots.
Remarkably, this season he has converted an impressive 13 out of 15 attempts on game-tying or game-winning shots in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. This represents the highest field goal percentage in such situations for a single season since play-by-play data began being tracked in 1996-97, according to ESPN Research.
However, for those most familiar with Haliburton, this ascent to superstardom has actually been a process developing over several years. Its less-than-glamorous beginning can be traced back to a seemingly ordinary Saturday in late January in Philadelphia.
At the time, Haliburton was unaware, but he was in his final weeks as a member of the Sacramento Kings organization.
What he *did* recognize was a deficiency, or perhaps several deficiencies, in his performance. His scoring average that year was only 13.8 points per game, figures not typically associated with a young player expected to receive a maximum contract extension in the upcoming offseason.
His agent, Dave Spahn, reached out to the well-known NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen to gauge his interest in meeting and potentially collaborating with Haliburton. Hanlen agreed to the meeting but promptly established conditions for the professional partnership.
In his book, `Stop [Bulls—ting] Yourself,` Hanlen detailed the interaction, writing: `The primary obstacle hindering [Haliburton] was his insufficient aggression in scoring. Therefore, I gave him a challenge. I informed him that to work together, he needed to attempt at least 14 field goals the following evening against the Sixers.`
Haliburton distinctly recalls that particular dinner.
`He told me I needed to believe in myself before he could believe in me,` Haliburton recounted to ESPN after Game 1 on Thursday night.
Unknown to Haliburton, Hanlen had already been analyzing his game footage for several weeks. This was because Hanlen also worked extensively with Joel Embiid of Philadelphia, and the Sixers had been involved in trade talks with the Kings concerning a potential deal involving both Haliburton and Ben Simmons.
While Hanlen admired Haliburton`s exceptional passing skills, he was concerned that his passive approach to scoring would diminish the overall effectiveness of his superb playmaking. Embiid encouraged Hanlen to continue reviewing the tape, noting that Haliburton possessed unique elements in his game that the veteran center had not encountered previously.
Consequently, in the game played on January 29, 2022, Haliburton followed Hanlen`s challenge precisely. He took 19 shots, successfully converting 11, and concluded the game with a then-career-best 38 points.
Just ten days later, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
He has continued his collaboration with Hanlen since that time, and the core principle guiding their work has remained constant.
`Our primary saying has always been, `Sometimes being excessively unselfish is, in fact, a form of selfishness,“ Hanlen explained to ESPN on Thursday night while waiting for Haliburton near the Pacers` family room in Oklahoma City. `When he plays too unselfishly, it actually has a detrimental effect on both his teammates` individual success and the overall success of the team.`
`Simply put, the more aggressive he plays, the more his team achieves victory.`
Throughout his career, confidence has been somewhat inconsistent for Haliburton, a fact that seems hard to reconcile with his lively interviews and on-court celebrations witnessed this season. But just a few months prior, he was in a state of discouragement as low as Hanlen had ever observed.
Not receiving any playing time as the sole Olympic team member deeply affected him. Similarly, a persistent hamstring injury prevented him from undertaking his usual summer training regimen. Consequently, he began the season lacking his typical explosiveness, both physically and emotionally. This was evident in the Indiana Pacers` sluggish start.
This context lends significant irony to his post-game comments to Van Pelt after Thursday night`s victory. The remark, `We were late to the party, too,` takes on a completely different meaning when considering the extent of Haliburton`s challenges in regaining his confidence and aggressive play earlier in the year.
Even the signature sneakers he brought with him to the podium carried a deeper significance. During one of his lowest points this year, he harbored concerns that he hadn`t earned the privilege of having a signature shoe.
`He`s historically leveraged negativity and self-doubt as motivation,` Hanlen explained. `But at one point, he began internalizing it and believing it was true. Our focus was on helping him overcome that.`
On Wednesday, Haliburton sent Hanlen a text message containing a post from the @studio7Inbox X account, which has 269 followers. The post provided an analysis of the Indiana Pacers` win rate correlated with Haliburton`s number of shot attempts.
Hanlen was unsure how Haliburton discovered the post, but he was pleased that such data was occupying Haliburton`s thoughts on the eve of his debut in the NBA Finals.
`We developed a catchphrase: the orange thing,` Hanlen stated. `Essentially, it`s a reminder to focus on the orange thing – the rim – as much as possible.`
`You wouldn`t necessarily advise all players to be overtly aggressive, as it might lead them to force ill-advised shots. However, with Tyrese, we have confidence that when he drives towards the basket and positions himself correctly, he will ultimately make the optimal play, whether that`s scoring or passing.`
The culmination of this work is that while Haliburton`s transformation into a superstar seems to be a recent playoff phenomenon, it`s actually a development that commenced three years prior and continues to require ongoing effort.
Following Game 5 of the Pacers` series against the Knicks, where Haliburton took only seven shots in a loss, Hanlen traveled to Indianapolis specifically to assist him in preparing for Game 6.
They reviewed game film together, and after Haliburton retired for the night, Hanlen collected every orange object he could locate within the residence and placed them outside Haliburton`s door.
Among the items he found were a bag of Goldfish crackers, a large box of Reese`s Puffs cereal, a size 3 basketball, a sizeable carrot, an orange wrapper containing Guittard dark chocolate, and a package of Kind peanut butter clusters.
Upon waking, Haliburton had to physically step over this collection of `orange things` simply to exit his room.
`That`s literally all he talks about,` Haliburton commented lightheartedly. `It`s constant, non-stop, every single day. He never lets up on it.`
Evidently, the message is effectively being conveyed.
This was apparent as Haliburton exited the Paycom Center on Thursday night and inquired about his total shot attempts in Game 1.
Thirteen.
`Damn,` he responded. `[Hanlen] isn`t going to be pleased. I know I wasn`t sharp. I hit the shot and all, but there`s significant scope for improvement. I`m capable of performing better.`
