"I was a no-star": Former 172nd ranked Tyrese Haliburton highlights rough start to basketball career

Now that he is establishing himself as a bonafide star in the NBA, Tyrese Haliburton looks back at his basketball journey so far with a lot of pride. Speaking to media ahead of their NBA In-Season Tournament finals showdown against the LA Lakers on Saturday, the Indiana Pacers All-Star shared his humble beginnings.

He spoke about how he considered himself a “no-star,” and how he motivated himself to become the player he is now. The former 172nd-ranked high school prospect from Wisconsin said:

"I was a no-star in high school. Like I know people say 3-star but I was a no-star."

Since being selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 draft, 23-year-old Haliburton has steadily built up his stock as a solid NBA player.

Things got to another level when he was traded to the Pacers midway into the 2021-22 season, instantly becoming the team’s best player.

Last season, he made it to his first-ever NBA All-Star Game on the strength of his impressive numbers of 20.7 points and 10.4 assists.

In the ongoing NBA year, his ascent continues, with norms of 26.9 points and 12.1 assists as he paces Indiana into becoming one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.

In the NBA In-Season Tournament, Tyrese Haliburton is strongly in the mix for MVP honors as he has towed the Pacers to an undefeated record leading up to the finals, anchored on his 28 points, 13.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 50.5% shooting clip per contest output.

Tyrese Haliburton looking to lure more star players to Indiana with his play

Apart from leading the Pacers to continued improvement, Tyrese Haliburton is looking to attract other star players to join them in Indiana and help the team achieve greater heights.

Veteran NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on this, following a conversation with the four-year league player.

He recently shared with “NBA Today”:

“Haliburton said to me, ‘I’m going to get you shots, I’m going to make life easy for you, and we are going to win.’ And that is really Haliburton’s mission right now, to use this tournament, to use this season to start making the case to star players around the league, ‘Come play with me in Indiana.’”

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are making a strong case for themselves as a viable destination for those who want to win as they have steadily built a solid squad in the last couple of years.

They further highlighted that with their spirited play in the ongoing NBA In-Season Tournament where they have reached the finals against the LA Lakers.