In the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton did a little recruiting for the Indiana Pacers. In a moment caught on Netflix’s ‘Court of Gold’ documentary, Hali is seen making a pitch to 76ers big man Joel Embiid that falls completely flat.
Tyrese Haliburton: “You gonna come to Indy? C’mon.”
Joel Embiid: “I might wanna come to Indy… Sike! Never in my life, I’d rather retire.”
Since his arrival in 2022, Tyrese Haliburton has been dedicated to turning the Pacers into elite title contenders. Besides elevating his own play (17.3 points, 8.7 assists per game for his career), he’s been recruiting stars for years to come join him in Indy.
In the 2024 Olympics, Haliburton had his best recruiting opportunity yet on the Team USA roster with LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Anthony Edwards, and others. Haliburton even publicly admitted that he was actively recruiting stars to his cause.
In the viral clip above, we see Haliburton make a pitch to big man Joel Embiid, but it was a vain effort from the start. Embiid, 30, has no interest in joining the Pacers and probably never will. Despite Haliburton’s presence, Indianapolis is one of the NBA’s smallest markets and not a popular destination for stars.
Embiid wants no part of the Pacers even though his arrival there would elevate them to contender status. Joel wants to live in the liveliest cities and make a living under the biggest spotlight in the NBA. As rough as the 76ers are, they still offer him the chance to thrive in a place he loves.
Unfortunately for Embiid, he may never get a fair chance. With averages of 27.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game, he’s one of the best players in the league but an extensive history of injuries has limited his career.
This season, with Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, Embiid has played just 17 games so far and his stats are at their lowest since the 2019-20 season. Worse still, the 76ers are 11th in the West at 20-34. They are on a 5-game losing streak and are 8.5 games back from the sixth seed in the East.
Set to make $292 million over the next five years, Embiid doesn’t have much control over his future anyway. That rests in the hands of GM Daryl Morey, who has repeatedly stated his intentions to build a title contender around Joel Embiid.
Meanwhile, the Pacers have no choice but to abandon their hopes of luring Joel Embiid. With Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam in the frontcourt, they are already set at that position anyway. What the Pacers really need is an elite two-way wing player who can step in and fill the gaps in the rotation.
With several stars already under contract, the Pacers are somewhat limited in who they can bring to the fold. For now, Tyrese Haliburton has to answer the call and do what he can to make the Pacers a place where every star wants to join.
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