Tyrese Haliburton missed out on playing meaningful minutes for Team USA on their dream run during the Paris Olympics 2024. But it seems like off the court, he gained something invaluable that he’s going to carry for the rest of his life.
Tyrese Haliburton recently talked about his relationship with the Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry during his podcast with Hollywood director and longtime New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee.
“I don’t know how old he is, all I know is I call him ‘Unc’… Steph is the greatest human being I’ve met in basketball. I’ve never met a better person than him. And the thing about it is, I’ve never heard anyone say anything bad about Steph as a human being,” the Indiana Pacers star admitted.
Haliburton interacted with Curry during their time together for Team USA, and ever since then, he’s become a huge fan.
“He is so unbelievable the way he can like, he remembers people, he cares about people. I mean, I just, I can’t say enough good things about Steph. And then, like, through the Olympic experience, for me, I didn’t play a ton, so a lot of it was for me to learn, and pick guys’ brains, and Steph was just that guy for me,” Haliburton revealed.
The Indiana Pacers point guard found himself playing limited minutes in the Olympics due to a minor injury. He played in three out of the six games for Team USA, averaging 2.7 points, 0.7 assists, and 0.3 steals.
But it wasn’t what he did on the court that helped him or his career; it was the learning he was absorbing behind the scenes that shaped a lot of how he played during the last season.
“After every practice, I’m like, ‘I gotta work out with Steph. I got to do what he’s doing and kind of take things from him, and he was always like, before he would start, if I’m on the other end of the gym, he’ll be like, ‘Come on, Ty, we’re going to work out.’ So for me, I can’t say enough good things about him,” Haliburton added.
Haliburton also revealed that now, when he goes to play the Golden State Warriors or if the Warriors come to Indiana, the two point guards get dinner and have formed a real relationship that doesn’t really happen with people you look up to.
Spike Lee Recalls Knicks Missing Out On Stephen Curry On Draft Night
One of the biggest and most famous fans of the New York Knicks, Spike Lee, during the conversation with Haliburton, recalled how the Golden State Warriors drafted Curry with the 7th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft.
The New York Knicks had the 8th pick, and they chose Jordan Hill, a forward/center, who only got to play meaningful minutes for the Knicks during his rookie season.
“You know what? Golden State picked him right before the Knicks… I try to stay away from what-ifs. So you just gotta [think] it wasn’t meant to be. And I got nothing but love for the brother,” Lee said.
The Hollywood director also speculated that sooner or later, his family’s going to call him back, and that could be the reason for his retirement because physically, the 37-year-old Warriors superstar is showing no signs of slowing down.
