Rivals, yes, but above all basketball enthusiasts. When Tyrese Haliburton sat down with Speedy Morman on Boardroom Talks and was pressed by the champions New York Knicks, he answered with complete honesty. It stung to see his rivals win, but he also relished the ride of a playoff run that moved at a blistering pace. And he’s sure that if he’d been on the floor, the narrative might have looked different.
“Do I think that if I had been healthy we would have beaten them? Of course. I’m an NBA player. I’m a competitor. Anyone in my position would say the same. But what they did in the playoffs was special. I don’t want to diminish or downplay what that was, because it was crazy. The whole stretch from the series against the Hawks was incredible. And it was a mix of emotions, you know? The Knicks are our rival? yes, but at the same time they’re friends,” he explains before detailing how he experienced the championship celebration.
“Normally I watch the Finals celebration. I always do, because it’s something special and thrilling to see the guys win a title and then celebrate with their families. But when the Knicks won, I told myself, ‘I’ve got to switch this off.’ I was at home with my wife and a few friends, and they were asking, ‘Do you want us to turn it off?’ I finally told them to leave it on.”
And he continues… “Finally I saw Jalen celebrate with Ali and his wife – my wife and I are really close friends with them. Watching that was fantastic. Do you know what I mean? I was genuinely happy for him. Seeing Josh up there with his twins. Seeing Karl up there with Jordyn. It was amazing to see, because these are all guys I get along with. Do you know what I mean?”
Finally, the Pacers’ leader concedes that, to an extent, the whole ordeal felt odd, since on one hand he was angry, and on the other he was genuinely happy.
“It’s a strange feeling. They’re our rivals and people will hear this; this clip will circulate and they’ll say… ‘the NBA has gone soft, it isn’t what it used to be.’ But this is different from when I face them on the court — there, the heat is real. We hate each other when we play, but after that there’s only affection. So it was interesting. It was a strange sensation. I felt every emotion. I was mad, but I was also happy,” he concludes.
