To most NBA fans, whether casual or devoted, Tyrese Haliburton`s ascent to superstar status seems to have unfolded over just the past few weeks.
Key moments like his game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against a formidable opponent, and remarkable statistical performances (such as a nearly perfect 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, 5 steals with zero turnovers in a crucial playoff game) have defined this period.
Following these games, Haliburton charmed in his postgame interviews, playfully commenting on how the team, which was below .500 earlier in the season, was “late to the party.”
He even brought up his newly released signature shoes, joking they were the “secret sauce” behind his clutch shots.
This season, he has shown incredible clutch performance, hitting an astonishing 13 out of 15 shots to tie or win the game in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime. This marks the best field goal percentage in such situations since detailed play-by-play tracking began in 1996-97.
However, for those who know Haliburton best, this superstar leap has been years in the making. It began unexpectedly on a seemingly ordinary Saturday in late January in Philadelphia.
Haliburton didn`t realize it at the time, but he was in his final weeks with the Sacramento Kings.
He knew there was something missing from his game, or perhaps many things. He was averaging only 13.8 points per game that year, not the numbers expected from a young player anticipating a maximum contract extension.
His agent contacted renowned NBA skills trainer Drew Hanlen to arrange a meeting. Hanlen agreed but immediately set a condition.
Hanlen believed the biggest obstacle was his lack of scoring aggressiveness. He presented a challenge: he told Haliburton that if he wanted to work together, he needed to attempt 14 field goals the very next night against his opponent.
Haliburton remembers that dinner well. He recalls Hanlen telling him, “You have to believe in yourself before I believe in you.”
Unbeknownst to Haliburton, Hanlen had already been studying his game for several weeks, having connections with a team that was engaged in potential trade discussions involving Haliburton with the Kings.
Hanlen admired Haliburton`s passing ability but worried that his lack of scoring aggression would limit the impact of his brilliant playmaking.
So, in that game on January 29, 2022, Haliburton did exactly what Hanlen challenged him to do. He attempted 19 shots, made 11 of them, and finished with a then-career-high 38 points.
He was traded to the Pacers 10 days later.
He has been working with Hanlen ever since, and the central theme of their work has remained consistent.
“Sometimes being too unselfish is actually being selfish,” Hanlen explained. “When he`s unselfish, it actually negatively impacts his teammates` success and his team`s success overall.”
“The more aggressive he is, the more his team wins.”
Confidence has been a fickle thing for Haliburton over the years – hard to imagine given his energetic interviews and on-court celebrations this season. Yet, only a few months ago, he was at his lowest point, according to Hanlen.
Not getting playing time on the Olympic team shook him. So did a lingering hamstring injury that prevented him from training all summer. He came into the season lacking his usual burst, both physically and emotionally. This contributed to the Pacers` slow start.
That`s what made his comments about being “late to the party” so ironic, knowing just how much Haliburton struggled to regain his confidence and aggression earlier this year.
Even the signature shoes he brought to the podium carried a double meaning. When Haliburton was at his lowest point this year, he worried he didn`t deserve the honor of having signature shoes.
“He`s always used negativity and doubt to fuel him,” Hanlen said. “But then he started buying into it and believing it. We had to help him get past that.”
On Wednesday, Haliburton texted Hanlen a social media post analyzing the Pacers` wins based on Haliburton`s shot attempts.
Hanlen wasn`t sure how Haliburton found the post, but he was glad that this was what Haliburton was focusing on the eve of his first Finals appearance.
“We came up with a slogan, which is `the orange thing`,” Hanlen said. “Which simply means `look at the orange thing.` Look at the rim as much as you possibly can.”
“You wouldn`t tell some players to be overly aggressive because you`d think they`d start hunting for bad shots,” Hanlen explained. “But with Ty, we trust that if he attacks the basket and puts himself in the right position, he`ll make the correct decision.”
The culmination of all this is that while Haliburton`s superstar turn appears to be happening in these playoffs, it`s a process that began three years ago – and one that still requires ongoing effort.
After Haliburton took only seven shots in a playoff loss, Hanlen flew to Indianapolis to help him prepare for the next game. They watched film, and when Haliburton went to bed, Hanlen gathered every “orange thing” he could find in the house and left them outside his door.
He found a bag of Goldfish crackers, a large box of Reese`s Puffs cereal, a Size 3 basketball, a large carrot, an orange package of dark chocolate, and Kind peanut butter clusters.
Haliburton woke up and had to step over all the “orange things” just to leave his room.
“That`s all he talks about,” Haliburton joked. “24/7, all day every day. That guy never stops.”
Clearly, the message is getting through. Because as Haliburton was leaving the arena after the game, he asked how many shots he had taken in the game.
Thirteen.
“Damn,” he said. “[Hanlen`s] not going to be happy. I know I was terrible [despite the winning shot]. There`s a lot of room for improvement. I can be better.”
