Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton didn’t get to the Eastern Conference finals all by himself—he had the support of his teammates, coaches and one decorated WNBA legend.
Haliburton had a conversation with four-time WNBA champ and Hall-of-Famer Sue Bird before the NBA playoffs started, according to Taylor Rooks’s newly aired interview with Bird. Rooks revealed that she spoke to the Pacers guard during Indiana’s first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks last month, and Haliburton told her that he had reached out to Bird for advice on when to be a scorer and when to be a facilitator.
Bird reportedly told Haliburton to “trust himself and be honest with himself. To not let his IQ overcomplicate and get in the way of what the game is giving him.”
Bird confirmed this and had some glowing words for Haliburton after his historic triple-double to help lift the Pacers to a crucial Game 4 victory over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
“Clearly, he’s figured it out,” Bird told Rooks. “I think my favorite part about watching Tyrese in this run is yes, the clutch plays, the big moments. But it’s been a little up and down at times, and that’s the reality. I think a lot of times you talk about top players, you talk about All-Stars, and you know you see their great play. But it always comes with a bad quarter, a bad game, a bad stretch. And it’s really how you respond to that.”
Haliburton got Bird’s contact info through Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek, who put the two in touch a few years ago, according to Indiana Fever reporter Scott Agness. Being good friends with Caitlin Clark also probably doesn’t hurt his WNBA connections, either.
Haliburton will be looking to book his first ever trip to the NBA finals in Game 5 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, with the Pacers in the hunt for their first NBA championship in franchise history.
