Tyrese Haliburton Tells LeBron James How He Realized He Wouldn’t Play in Paris Olympics

LeBron James and Tyrese Haliburton played their parts to help USA Basketball win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Tyrese Haliburton Tells LeBron James How He Realized He Wouldn’t Play in Paris Olympics

Tyrese Haliburton and LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

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Tyrese Haliburton could not believe his luck when he was called upon to be LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant‘s teammate on the Paris Olympics USA Basketball squad.

It was a surreal experience for him, as well as other fellow youngsters, Anthony Edwards, and a few others, to be wearing the same jersey as some of those all-time greats.

Together, they were tasked to restore America’s position as the best basketball nation in the world, as a younger squad led by Edwards exited the 2023 FIBA World Cup in embarrassing fashion.

The team was made up of twelve of the best Americans from the NBA, which meant the likes of Haliburton and a couple of others might face reduced minutes.

Steve starts talking, everybody can’t play, Bron is talking how he didn’t play in the 04 Olympics that much, KD is over there saying we’re all 12 all-stars, everybody is good… As we start film, I’m like, ‘But who are they talking about?’ I’m looking around like, ‘He’s not talking about him, he’s not talking about him.’ I’m like, ‘Ahhh, they talking bout me!’

Tyrese Haliburton said

This was the Indiana Pacers star’s revelation to LeBron James while speaking on Mind the Game. The Lakers superstar could not contain his laughter as Haliburton detailed how it dawned upon him that he was the one who would not be getting any minutes.

The two also went over the point guard’s tweet after winning the gold medal, where he trolled himself by suggesting he got an A without doing anything.

LeBron James reiterates Nikola Jokic and Serbia semifinal game was tough

Tyrese Haliburton was substituting for Steve Nash, who was away on NBA on Prime duty for the two European games the NBA had scheduled earlier this month.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry against Serbia
LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry against Serbia (Image via VSports TM/X)

When they continued to talk about their experience playing for their country against some of the best international teams in the world, LeBron James revealed how Nikola Jokic and Serbia made them sweat.

We might lose, bro. I’m starting to sweat now thinking about it… That was one of the greatest games I ever played in.

LeBron James said

The four-time champion reiterated that in entering the fourth quarter of that semifinal matchup, a sense of fear came down upon them that they could lose.

Thankfully, as the two of them recalled, Stephen Curry’s late flurry helped them turn the tide. Haliburton remarked that the latter was due to have a good game, and thankfully, it was against the Serbians and then later, in the gold medal game against hosts France.

Tyrese Haliburton reveals how LeBron James and Stephen Curry left him in awe

While continuing to talk about their Paris Olympics experience, Tyrese Haliburton dived into practice stories, with one particular one that he remembers fondly.

I’ll never forget playing 5-on-5… It’s me, you, and Steph on the same team, and you caught the long outlet and jumped up without looking… And, I was like, ‘What is he doing?’… ‘Oh, I think he’s seeing Steph!”… That was the coldest moment in my basketball history.

Tyrese Haliburton said

The recently-engaged guard was speaking about how LeBron James took a spur-of-the-moment decision based on how he had already seen the play develop.

This was an ode to the four-time league MVP‘s elite awareness, which is what made him USA Basketball’s de facto point guard in their Paris Olympics gold medal quest.

Haliburton learnt a lot from the sidelines, reiterating time and time again that he was just taking it all in from three of the greatest to ever play the game.

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