From Olympic Benchwarmer to Playoff Hero: Tyrese Haliburton’s Meteoric Rise

Just months ago, Tyrese Haliburton was barely a blip on Team USA’s radar. Benched for most of the Paris Olympics, the Indiana Pacers star saw just 26 minutes of play across six games — the lowest total on the squad. His time in Paris was humbling, an “ego check” by his own admission. The jokes online stung, and the smile he wore masked growing frustration. But that was then.

This postseason, Haliburton has reinvented himself as one of the most clutch performers in basketball. He hasn’t just silenced critics — he’s crushed narratives, broken hearts, and rewritten expectations. The Pacers, perennial underdogs, are now just two wins from their first-ever NBA title, and it’s largely thanks to Haliburton’s ice-cold performances in the biggest moments.

Throughout these playoffs, Haliburton has delivered jaw-dropping, game-altering plays in every round. In the opening series against Milwaukee, he carved up Giannis Antetokounmpo in overtime to seal Game 5. He followed that with a stunning three-pointer in Cleveland, taken immediately after his own missed free throw. Then, in the conference finals against New York, he forced overtime with a buzzer-beater before channeling Pacers legend Reggie Miller’s infamous “choke” gesture — this time, with Miller himself watching and grinning.

And in the NBA Finals opener against Oklahoma City? Another moment for the reel: a game-winning shot with just 0.3 seconds left, giving Indiana their only lead of the game. It was the team’s fifth comeback from a 15+ point deficit in these playoffs — a feat not seen since the Pacers’ run in 1998.

His postseason résumé is now studded with clutch credentials. Includinmg the regular season, Haliburton is hitting nearly 87% of shots in the final two minutes to tie or take the lead — an elite mark. His ability to warp win probabilities has earned him a mix of admiration and unease among fans. Some of the nicknames being tossed around online — such as “The Haliban” and “Himothy McVeigh” — veer into controversy, prompting the league to try steering fans toward the tamer “The Moment.” So far, that effort hasn’t stuck.

Few expected this leap. At the Olympics, Haliburton struggled to find his role behind stars like Steph Curry and Derrick White. Meanwhile, NBA players voted him the most overrated player in an anonymous poll by The Athletic. Rather than lash out, Haliburton took it in stride. “I must be doing something right,” he quipped. “My focus is on this locker room and winning. I know who I am.”

And his teammates know it too. Haliburton’s impact goes beyond scoring. In Game 3 of the Finals, with Indiana in another tight battle, he didn’t need to hit the last shot. Instead, his savvy playmaking set up Aaron Nesmith for a dagger three-pointer that stretched the Pacers’ lead. Haliburton saw the whole court, read the defense, and made the unselfish — yet decisive — call.

Even the off-court drama hasn’t fazed him. From the league suspending his father for taunting Giannis, to speculation he overshadowed Pascal Siakam during the conference finals MVP ceremony, Haliburton has handled the spotlight with calm clarity. “We had a vision when we brought Pascal here,” he said, echoing a meme-worthy line. “We believed we could do something special.”

And they are. The Pacers’ 116-107 win over the Thunder in Game 3 was another step toward history. After a 25-year drought, Indiana is back in the NBA Finals. For Haliburton, who joked he was just a baby the last time this happened, the gravity of the moment is clear.

“We’re here now,” he told NBA TV. “We don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

From Olympic afterthought to playoff assassin, Tyrese Haliburton’s journey has become the most compelling story of the NBA season. And if he continues at this pace, he may soon deliver Indiana a moment it’s waited decades to see.