Tyrese Haliburton 2023-24 Exit Interview | Indiana Pacers

Tyrese Haliburton 2023-24 Exit Interview | Indiana Pacers

how how has this all gone through you know through your eyes basically what’s it been like and what were just decisions have made that kind of LED not being able to play yeah it’s uh it’s been really frustrating uh it’s been trash honestly um you work so hard to get somewhere and um you know you something happens that’s kind of out of your control and obviously that’s frustrating for me but um you know I think what I’ve understood you know more than anything is usually in the playoffs the healthier team you know wins and uh you know they there’s a hell of a team Boston’s a great team um you know but obviously very frustrating for me and and in and where how I was playing at the time and how we were playing as a group so uh it’s been very frustrating uh after the game I mean I really hurt like the play that’s been out there that’s not the play that had happened um I was I hurt my hamstring in the second quarter uh on ISO with Al Horford on the right wing and then I got to the back I could tell that I mean I was my I went to the back earlier for my I got a chest x-ray cuz I landed on my back hurt my you know I was were worried about my heart um and then I you know I I got my leg wrapped up uh in the Ace B ace bandage and we did a bunch of treatment at halftime I wasn’t even in the halftime meeting uh came back out tried to play that play was just I think you seen that it was hurt you know what I mean but it’s definitely not the play that had happened so um I knew when I came out when coach took me out third quarter uh I had a good feeling that it was probably done um you know so uh it was you know I went to the back before the fourth and um I just knew I mean they didn’t really have to tell me I could just tell um that something was wrong and then uh yeah next day they wanted the swelling to go down before I got the MRI I got the MRI in the morning of game three um you know I felt better the the day of game way I mean I I could barely walk the day after the game and then game three I you know felt good I was like I had a call my agents that morning like hey I feel good I’m not going to lie to you guys I really don’t care what you say I’m going to try to play and then there was obviously like organization wide meeting you know with our front office my agents everybody uh and I think uh they just you know they did what you know their what their job is is to protect me from myself and wouldn’t allow me to play game three and um I understand the long-term you know implications of you know the chances of reh hurting you know my hamstring but um you know I just I’m very thankful for this organization for protecting me from myself and um it’s obviously frustrating but um I know I’m going to you know I think we’re all I know we’re all going to work work our eyes off to be back where we were and um yeah so you know it’s uh it’s definitely been been frustrating but it is what it is you I mean it was to what degree had it still been bothering you from the original injury I mean it you know do you view it as a you know a reinjury or an aggravation and what did it feel like in comparison to what you did the first time yeah well it’s I mean it’s not a reag grav it’s a whole new thing same hamstring just different spot so um it’s definitely uh it’s definitely frustrating I mean anybody who watched me play understood understood that I was never really 100% after hurting it the first time you know dealing with that um you know but I wanted to be on the floor wanted to play you know how you know we had you know the 65 game rule obviously was a thing but I wanted to play you know what I mean I want to play basketball so uh our medical staff is the best in the league they did an amazing job of monitoring having constant conversations with me um you know doing around the clock treatment all the time late nights early mornings all that stuff uh to be able to play on a nightly basis but um I don’t think it was a secret to anybody you know what was going on with me the majority of the year so that was frustrating but um you know I’m just proud of our group we uh had an amazing year and I think anything we proved that we weren’t the team from the the year before when when I went down you know we it it got really bad I think we went six and four in the games that I was out um and then we you know played our asses off two games against the best team in the NBA uh without me and you know we’re in position to win both those games and uh just weren’t able to close so um just really proud of our group for for the fight that they had uh but yeah not a not a re-aggravation it’s a whole new thing Ty what do you view as the next steps for you and this team after you go through two kind of building years and immediately jump to the Conference Finals yeah um I think just continuing to play with that chip on our shoulder I think we’re a roster full of guys with with chips on our shoulder and understand like we didn’t I mean we haven’t arrived by any means you know what I mean we had a great had a great year uh did some that I don’t think anybody anticipated that we’d be capable of doing by Mak it to Easter Conference Finals uh but understand like you still got to have the chip on your shoulder now it’s a whole new it’s a whole new thing now we got to prove that this year wasn’t a fluke and that you know we’re capable of doing this and um you know I feel like that’s how we played the majority of the year cuz we went to inseason tournament championship and it was like well you know somebody had to get there you know it’s a fluke it’s this and that and then we get to Easter Conference Finals and it’s the same thing so uh I’m sure the narrative will be the same thing going in next year and that’s I think we relishing that we love that uh we I think we’re just going to continue to prove people wrong you we got a great group of guys that I’m looking forward to you know having having the majority of our guys back if not you know basically everybody you know I’m excited to to run it back with this group and um it’s going to be an really exciting next year next year hamstring thing there’s no concern with Team USA and that you should be cleared by then uh no no no concern I think um you know the biggest things I got you know six weeks still have to report to Camp uh so I mean I’ll be in Indie doing the majority of my you know treatment rehab and stuff so uh six weeks is a it’s a pretty it’s a pretty long time you know I didn’t even I didn’t have that ever during the year with the previous injury so um you know there’s there’s no concern and uh we’ll be S you know the organization will be sending medical staff with me the whole time so um I don’t really have concern to borrow a line from the 30 for 30 what if I told you media day your team would go to the inseason tournament finals the Eastern Conference Finals you personally would start the All-Star Game in Indianapolis be all NBA I mean a lot of those accomp ments for individual and team perspective could you put it into words yeah I mean it’s hard to put it into words man it’s was like like obviously it’s hard you know to to you know it’s only a day since the season ended but it’s hard to like you know take the time to reflect I think we all as human beings can do a better job of of reflecting and understanding how great of lives we all live and um you know I think I’ll I’ll take that time over the next you know few weeks to really reflect and process the year that that this was but I’m just really grateful really thankful uh for everybody in my life and this organization and um just the year we had man it was a lot of fun it was a lot of fun when I got here I mean we were just a a bunch of guys thrown together we won won like 25 games uh you know it was a struggle and then you know we jumped to 35 this year 47 like the growth has been amazing to see I mean we’re really I mean technically speaking what are we in like the second year third year of a rebuild you know what I mean and we’re in the Easter Conference Finals like that’s you know amazing you know so uh it means the world to do it with these guys because like we genuinely do have a group of guys that we do have a lot of love for each other and we do support each other um which I I think in a the professional sports world that’s not really a thing you know what I mean that’s not I guess people kind of say like in college is your last time really being like with like a real close-nit group if you don’t win a championship you know what I mean but um what I will say is like we got a great group of guys who really genuinely a lot of love for each other and uh I’m just really thankful that I’ve been here and been a part of building that culture here um and we’re going to continue to do that and continue to do great things Rick said this morning that during exit interviews a year ago that the discussion was how can this team get to the Eastern Conference Finals in three years so you did it in one uh does that create more pressure or more opportunity to that to then maybe take that next step a little bit quicker I don’t know if more pressure is the right word uh for me personally and I think I I mean I don’t have to ask the guys I know that’s how they feel as well it creates like like you you want to do it again you know what I mean and and you obviously want the outcome to change but um like I think we’re all we have a group of guys that are really motivated by negativity motivated by being doubted like that’s how a lot of us guys are motivated so I’m really excited to go into this uh this next year with uh you know the Pacers Mak the Easter Conference Finals can they do it again they probably can’t they’re this they’re that they’re this they’re that uh that’s exciting that’s exciting for our group and um I just I mean I’m I’m looking forward to you know having uh you know another another year with with this group of guys and this coaching staff and um you know continuing to you know raise the standard here you know what I mean I think for early 2010s with you know PG and and and Roy and those guys you know this was the standard and uh I don’t want people like you know they say like don’t don’t take it for granted because you never know when you’ll do it you know do it again have that much success um I I think that’s fair we should we shouldn’t take it for granted but we’re trying to create that to be the standard here we don’t want this to be a feel-good story that we you know we had a uh a good run like we’re trying to create a standard here and uphold people to those standards so um you know I’m looking forward to as a as a group just creating that culture here and we’ve been doing that for you know two three years and we’re going to continue to do that t speaking of things Rick said this morning he said the first step is to begin recruiting Pascal seakan nest and we’ve heard about your role in recruiting before what is what do you envision your role being in that process this summer yeah I mean obviously it’s a big deal to bring Pascal back um just a great addition to our team and uh an amazing amazing player so I mean he knows I’ll be texting him non-stop calling him non-stop uh you know we all would love to have Pascal back and uh that’s definitely the plan so um I can’t speak for the man by any means but I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure Pascal zakum is in a Pacer uniform next year and uh you know I’m excited to um you know begin that recruiting process I guess but um just to you know have him as as my teammate uh you know for the for for the foreseeable future hopefully for the rest of of his career and uh you hopefully I’ll play I’ll play him so rest of his career uh but that that’s definitely the goal know we asked you some form of this question throughout the playoffs but now that you get to stand back and and look at it um what do you think just over the course of this run you learned about the player that you have to be and the team that you have to be uh to succeed in the playoffs what did this first run through uh teach you now that you can stand back and and look at back look at it from at least a little bit of distance yeah I think um for us as a group I think what’s important was important in the you know all three series just keeping our composure um valuing the possession of the ball I think being able to play the Knicks in my second playoff series is meant a lot for just my psyche and and and moving forward because they are an unbelievable rebounding team and that’s and the way they rebound the ball offensively the game five it was like I don’t even know how many offensive rebounds they had but it was like that value of possession because when I think value of possession I’ve always thought turning the ball over taking care of the ball but rebounds I never really thought about until we played the Knicks and I was like well that’s you know that’s gaining more possessions that’s like the same thing so um I think I think that’s the biggest thing for me is just understand the you know value in the possession of the ball um obviously you can say closing games like I think that’s important and obviously that’s uh my role more times than not how can I close the close the game the right way uh game one of this series is going to stay with me for you know for for a long time uh because that that’s very uncharacteristic of of me and and this group so um you know that’s frustrating but uh I think I think that was a great Learning lesson for me this whole playoffs I learned a lot about myself and um you know where I can be better how I can be better how the playoffs are different than the regular season all those things um you know I look forward to you know continuing to learn in my career and and and you know just putting my toolbox for how I can get better as a player and how can we can get better as a team how well you remember this kind of season as you make all NBA for the first time and have the team success is by far the highest love you’ve had in the pros yeah I mean this is the best season of my life you know no question up until this point though you know I I I plan to have uh a lot more success in this uniform and uh this organization have a lot more success so um you know for me I think is unbelievable year and uh I think everybody this is a year that a lot of people are going to remember for a long time um but I don’t want this to be like I said I don’t want this to be just a Feelgood story we don’t want this to be like a one-year thing we want we had a standard that we want this to be the standard and we got to prove that we can do that and uphold that we talked a little bit last year about the importance of physical development uh you know of you getting bigger and stronger I how do you view that going into this offseason how important is that to you and also how do you expect your sort of just development plan physical development plan to change because you have you’re going to have to Rehab off of this and you have the Olympics coming up how do how are you viewing all that um as you started right now yeah just beginning to create a plan what makes the most sense obviously you know it’s no secret that excuse me it’s no secret that I got to get stronger um you know my body has to get stronger to uphold playing you know hopefully 82 it’s not even 82 anymore I plan on making the playoffs 100 you know 100 games you know what I mean how can I have my body be prepared for that and that a lot of that comes with my strength development and and those things so uh you know I think the the the great part is or the the thing about my hamstring is like there has to be you have to lift to to get it stronger but you have to give it appropriate rest I never got appropriate rest the whole year cuz we’re in the middle of a season so uh the balance of that can be tricky but I’m excited cuz our medical staff and and me have already began to you know create our plan for the summer and what makes the most sense for that um so you know I I understand that that’s a big part of my development and I think in the NBA it’s interesting because it’s like you know it’s always who can you trade for to get better and this and that what can it take but I do think there’s like an U you know organic growth of all of us individually you know what I mean I think that’s that’s really the next step for for us as a group is we got the pieces we just organically everybody’s just going to have to get better you know and we’re all young and we got a lot of time to do that um but you know we obviously want to do it quicker than than than expected so uh we got to have everybody’s got to have a good summer and that starts with me um and I plan on it and uh just getting getting ready for the Olympics and then uh having my strength Co our strength coach and uh trainer with trainer with me the whole time will be good for me and I mean in the it’s the Olympics nobody’s playing 40 minutes so you know I mean our minutes will be down we’re we’re we got a great team so um with the minutes that I’ll be playing I’m sure I’ll be able to lift like it’s still you know summer um so that that’ll be good

Tyrese Haliburton speaks to the media following the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.