INDIANAPOLIS -- Tyrese Haliburton grew up entirely in the post-Dream Team era of USA Basketball. Like any other young hoophead, the Pacers All-Star point guard counted USA jerseys as part of his collection of replicas and he considered Olympic basketball appointment viewing in the same vein as the NBA playoffs. US Olympic squads were almost always the best of the best, so there was never a time in his basketball life when he didn't dream of inclusion on the team as a crowning achievement.
But his desire ramped up when he played for Team USA in 2019 with the U-19 World Cup team, and then again in September 2022 when he went to the premiere of the Redeem Team documentary about the loaded 2008 U.S. squad that included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. That group avenged the 2004 squad's bronze medal finish in Athens, Greece with a gold in Beijing. Haliburton was 8 years old for those Olympics, so those players were his heroes. Watching the documentary at 22 heading into his third year in the NBA made it an even more important goal for him.
"Me and D-Wade talked after that and I was like, 'Man, I gotta be a part of it,'" Haliburton said Thursday in a Zoom press conference arranged by USA Basketball. "I want to do this so bad. I already knew I wanted to do it, but seeing that, it gives you goosebumps. You want to be a part of it."
That's why Haliburton not only played in last year's FIBA World Cup but treated it like a tryout for this year's Olympic team, knowing it would be a much more difficult squad to make. That's also why, once he earned a roster spot, he never thought about backing out despite injuries to his left hamstring that cost him 10 games in January and then forced him to sit out the last two games of the Eastern Conference finals when the Pacers were swept by the eventual NBA champion Celtics. Once the Pacers' medical staff told him that he would be able to play, there was never a question in his mind.
"When it happened against Boston and I knew I wouldn't play the rest of the series, there was a little bit of concern for me," Haliburton said. "But I think our medical team did a great job of re-assuring me that they had faith that I would be fine for this moment if I did the appropriate things, balancing rest with strengthening it as well. ... They said they didn't have concerns so it allowed me to not really have any."
Haliburton said he took about three weeks to stay away from basketball to let the hamstring rest, something he said he would have done even if not for the second injury. He went on vacations − one to Turks and Caicos and another to Paris for Fashion Week − and he finally returned to on-court work this week at the Pacers facility. He'll have to report to Team USA camp on July 5, so that gives him a little over a week to ramp up.
"This is the first week I've really touched a basketball since the season's ended," Haliburton said. "I've been doing two-a-days for the last three days now. Today will be the fourth. There's no concern about my body from anybody in our organization. That's exciting. My hamstring feels good overall. My body feels good, so I'm excited."
He's excited in part to get some level of redemption. His World Cup experience last year didn't end well even though his individual performance led to a spot on this year's roster. Team USA won its first four games before taking a loss to Lithuania in the second round of group play. It still advanced to the knockout round and beat Italy in the quarterfinals, but they lost to eventual champion Germany in the semifinals and then to Canada in overtime in the bronze medal game, going home medal-less.
"Last year we spent like a month, 40 days together, and I left with nothing," Haliburton said. "I left with a great experience, good friends, good relationships, but we all, at the end of the day, want to win a medal. The gold medal, we don't have any other expectations. That's our goal and that's what we want to do. I'm excited to compete for it."
The expectations will be gold medal or bust, because Team USA will enter with a collection of talent that rivals that of the original Dream Team. James is in for what could be his final Olympics. Stephen Curry will be playing in his first Olympics, but it could also be his last. Kevin Durant might also be making his last ride after winning gold in each of the last three Olympics.
And the roster is loaded beyond that. The 2023 MVP Joel Embiid is on the team as are Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday of the champion Celtics. Kawhi Leonard, who owns two NBA titles, is on the roster. So are Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker. Anthony Edwards and Haliburton − two 24-year-olds who made the All-NBA team this year, are the only holdovers from the World Cup squad.
"Top to bottom, I just expect them to do what they do and be great," Haliburton said. "I'm excited to be around it."
Haliburton knows what his job is also. He averaged 20.1 points per game for the Pacers this season, but he was also the NBA's leader in assists with 10.9 per game. James is the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Durant ranks 10th and Curry 30th and is the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers.
"No question it's just facilitating and passing the ball," Haliburton said when asked what his role is. "I joked around last year with Grant Hill (the former All-Star and Team USA's managing director). I'm trying to be Jason Kidd and trying to see how long I can go without shooting the ball. Playing with all those great scorers, being on the court with all them, just trying to facilitate as much as I can, get those guys the ball, especially early in transition, how elite scorers we have and elite players. I think that's where my game will excel with this team so I'm just trying to do that."
Haliburton said he wants to play on as many Olympic teams as Team USA will have him. He knows that means pressure every four years to win the gold medal and he knows that's much harder now than it was in 1992 because the rest of the world has done so much to catch up with Team USA. But he views that as a reason to sign up as much as he can, not a reason not to.
"How can you not want to do this?" Haliburton said. "We watch our role models and guys that we look up to represent USA Basketball. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of that because people I looked up to were part of that and people they looked up to were part of that. I think that's the great part about USA basketball. You're right. There's a gold standard. Especially in the United States, it's a gold medal or you fail, but that pressure is good for us."
