OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – “With the 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings select Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State University,” announced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Analysts immediately called it the ‘steal of the draft.’
Those words whipped like a cyclone through the Oshkosh and Fox Valley community – especially on social media – on Wednesday night.
Before he was an Iowa State Cyclone, Haliburton was an Oshkosh North Spartan. Haliburton was part of the 2017-2018 state championship squad for the Spartans.
He’s the first player from Oshkosh to ever make it to the NBA level. He’s also the highest pick ever from Northeast Wisconsin.
“To be the first professional basketball player from our city means the world to me, and I’m not gonna be the last. So I’m just trying to embrace everything right now and show as much love to my community as possible,” Haliburton said in a late night local press meeting.
But before we dive into the details of exactly where he’s going, it’s fairly important to recognize how he got there.
Watching him play as a freshman in high school, I personally predicted that Haliburton would play Division I College Basketball. That prediction became reality fairly quickly. But what seemed to come even quicker, albeit a few years later, was his realization that he could compete with the big names we all saw scroll across the TV.
“The summer between my freshman and sophomore year [of high school], I got my first Divison I offer. So it was then that it was official that I was going to be a Division I basketball player,” Haliburton told WTAQ News. “My freshman year I felt like I was able to play on the court with other great players and feel like I belong. So I thought to myself if some of these guys are being talked about as going to the NBA, then I can make the NBA.”
Like most professional athletes, Haliburton says he had a fair share of doubters entering the inbox of his head, as well as his social media. But in a way that those who know him best know well, those messages hit the deleted folder fairly quickly.
“There’s a lot of people who told me, told their friends, and people who surround me that I wouldn’t be able to play at Iowa State and that I wouldn’t get in the game. So obviously, they were wrong. I’m sure that there are other people who said I would never make the NBA, and here I am today,” Haliburton said.
The path to the draft was also a bit different this year. The event was initially set to be held in June, but like most things, the COVID-19 pandemic caused it to be rescheduled – and conducted virtually.
Haliburton says that simply gave him more time to prepare.
“I really just lived in the gym for the past couple months. I got cleared in April and I’ve been working out three times a day since then…I’ve really just been getting after it. Working on my body, my game, everything in between. So, just working, man,” Haliburton told WTAQ News. “There’s not a magical potion or a magic wand I have to get here or to stay here. It’s really just out-working people. That’s the recipe for success for me.”
He also took part in a pre-draft training program with other top prospects like Obi Toppin, who was taken 8th overall by the New York Knicks – a spot many predicted Haliburton was going to fill.
Looking at the numbers – Haliburton led the Big 12 Conference in assists last season, with 6.5 assists per game. He also averaged 15.2 points and 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds during his sophomore season. He shot better than 42% from 3-point range during his college career.
Most mock drafts had Haliburton in the top ten, some even in the top five. But when he fell to Sacramento, 12th overall, he was ecstatic.
“It’s a business. I’m not going to sit and complain, man. I’m in a perfect spot for me – I’m on cloud nine, man! I’m good,” Haliburton laughed. “I think I’m a perfect fit with them. I think I excel best with other great guards. And obviously a quicker guard, a freak athlete in De’Aaron [Fox], he’s kind of the perfect guy for me in that – what I lack, he has…I think all young blood is good blood. I feel like being able to come in there with other young guys who are also ready to grow, also ready to compete, that are ready to get after it – I can’t wait. It’s going to be great for the start of my career and as my career carries on. I’m really excited about it.”
Needless to say, Haliburton is ready to head out to Sacramento and get to work on helping turn the team around. But he’s excited for more than just the game.
“Ready to get to the city, meet my teammates, meet the front office, create long lasting relationships and really excel as a basketball player and a person,” Haliburton said.
But the moment of the announcement wasn’t just a basketball moment. Or a professional business moment. It was a human, family moment.
While Haliburton says he doesn’t cry tears of happiness often, his father immediately showed that emotion.
“It was awesome to share that moment with my family. I’m just excited to keep growing and have a lot more memories with my family,” Haliburton said. “Off-camera, I broke down a little bit. Just kind of that realization that I’m here in the culmination of all of my hard work…There was obviously some stuff that happened tonight that I won’t forget anytime soon.”
Speaking of unforgettable things in the draft – we can’t let the spectacular flower suit go without notice. Haliburton says he’s a loud person, and that means he needed an outfit to match.
Tyrese Haliburton shows off his NBA Draft Day suit. (PHOTO: Courtesy of Emil Vajgrt)
“I didn’t want to come out here and wear black if other people were going to wear black. I didn’t want to wear red if other people were going to wear red. So I had to mix it up,” Haliburton said. “The pandemic really threw us off a lot. Not exactly the night that we had hoped for. But I wasn’t going to let it ruin my drip, man. I still had to come out here and be me.”
The finer details of his Draft Day get-up circle us back to the first things he addressed. Taking a look, ‘920 To The League’ was etched into the right inner flap of his suit. He also donned a locally-crafted ‘920’ pendant on the chain around his neck. That 920 signifies the area code for a vast span of Northeast Wisconsin.
While he’s ready for the next step in California, the ‘920 To The League’ mindset keeps him grounded as he remembers his roots. Something, once again, that is bigger than basketball – and bigger than 6’5″ Tyrese Haliburton.
“I hope I inspire kids in Oshkosh and the whole Fox Valley area to chase their dreams, do what they love, and don’t be satisfied,” Haliburton said.
The NBA regular season tips off December 22nd.
