The Indiana Pacers' first preseason game will take place at Iowa State on Wednesday, and Tyrese Haliburton purchased tickets for the student section so Cyclones students could attend. Haliburton said he is hosting all the students and wants to give back to the community where he played college basketball. He spent two years at Iowa State from 2018 to 2020 before being drafted in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft.
Haliburton met his wife, Jade, during his time at Iowa State and proposed to her on the court. He suggested hosting a game there years ago, which was an easy sell because Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan was born in Des Moines. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the game was originally scheduled for 2025 but was delayed after Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
Wednesday will mark Haliburton's first game in over 16 months. He said he is unsure how much time he will play against the Minnesota Timberwolves but hopes to play at least the first half. Haliburton said he knows nobody is as passionate about Iowa State as the current students and thinks the event will be fun for everyone.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing