How Did Tyrese Haliburton Prove Doubters Wrong?

TL;DR

Tyrese Haliburton overcame repeated rejection by combining relentless practice, efficient play, coachability, and late-game confidence. After being cut from a youth program, lightly recruited, drafted 12th, traded by Sacramento, and labeled overrated, he answered critics with major improvement at every level and shot 12 of 14 on attempts to tie or take the lead in the final two minutes during the 2025 season.

Transcript

When he was 14, Tyresese Hallebertton was cut from an AAOU team. His high school coach called him the worst freshman he'd ever coached. Howie was just a three-star recruit who barely got any college offers. And after he got drafted by the Kings in 2020, he got traded midway through his second season. Former NBA player Wally Serbia called Hallebertt... Read More

Key Insights

• Tyrese Haliburton is a product of persistence after rejection. A youth program effectively cut him, his high school coach once called him the worst freshman he had coached, and national recruiters largely overlooked him even after he became a state champion.
• Haliburton's unusual jumper developed when he lacked the childhood strength to shoot with conventional technique. A preschooler once blocked his low release during a corrective drill, leaving him in tears, but he returned to practice the next day and continued working on it.
• Haliburton's high school breakthrough followed an earlier postseason failure. After admitting that he choked in the state quarterfinals as a junior, he returned as a senior and led Oshkosh North to a 26-1 record and the first state championship in school history.
• Haliburton's leadership value extends beyond his statistics. Iowa State coaches noticed his charisma, communication, positive energy, relationships with teammates and officials, willingness to listen, and ability to apply instruction, qualities that helped an NBA scout identify his professional potential early.
• Haliburton's sophomore season at Iowa State demonstrated substantial growth. He averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from three before a wrist injury ended his season.
• Haliburton's rookie impact came from efficient shooting and sound decisions. He shot 41 percent from three, averaged 5.3 assists against 1.6 turnovers, and helped Sacramento through pace, passing, timely shots, and an advanced feel for the game.
• The key to Haliburton becoming a more assertive scorer was increasing his shot volume. Development coach Drew Hanlen challenged him to attempt 14 shots against Philadelphia, and Haliburton answered by scoring a career-high 38 points, beginning their continuing working relationship.
• Haliburton's response to being labeled overrated was exceptional late-game execution. During the 2025 season, he made 12 of 14 attempts to tie or take the lead in the final two minutes and delivered several clutch playoff performances.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Tyrese Haliburton overcome being overlooked?

Tyrese Haliburton overcame being overlooked through sustained practice, coachability, efficient decision-making, and resilience after setbacks. He returned to practice after being embarrassed by a shooting drill, trained throughout his childhood summers, recovered from a disappointing junior postseason, and improved at Iowa State and Sacramento. Each stage strengthened the skills and leadership qualities that eventually supported his clutch performances in 2025.

Q: Why was Tyrese Haliburton considered an underrated prospect?

Tyrese Haliburton received limited attention because he came from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was rated as a three-star recruit, had a thin frame, lacked standout athleticism, and used an unconventional low-release jumper. Even a state championship and strong senior statistics did not put him on the national radar. Iowa State recognized his intelligence, passing, size, communication, and presence after evaluating him in person.

Q: What happened to Tyrese Haliburton during youth basketball?

Tyrese Haliburton played youth and AAU basketball, including time with Tyler Herro on a team coached by Tyler's father, Chris. Chris later told Haliburton's parents that their son was not good enough and had no future with the program. His parents described the situation as an effective dismissal, but Haliburton joined another team and continued pursuing basketball despite the rejection.

Q: How did Tyrese Haliburton improve after his junior season?

Tyrese Haliburton responded to a state-quarterfinal loss, which he admitted included his own poor performance, by returning for a dominant senior season. He averaged 22.9 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. He led Oshkosh North to a 26-1 record and scored 30 points in the state final, making all 18 free throws.

Q: What made Tyrese Haliburton stand out at Iowa State?

Tyrese Haliburton stood out at Iowa State through more than scoring. Coaches and scouts valued his basketball intelligence, accurate passing, positive demeanor, communication, energy, and willingness to absorb instruction from older players. As a freshman, he also shot 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from three while leading the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio.

Q: How did Tyrese Haliburton perform as an NBA rookie?

Tyrese Haliburton averaged 13 points, three rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals during his rookie season with Sacramento. He made 41 percent of his three-point attempts and recorded only 1.6 turnovers per game. His passing, pace, decision-making, and timely shooting improved the team when he played, helping him finish third in rookie of the year voting.

Q: Why did Drew Hanlen challenge Tyrese Haliburton to shoot more?

Drew Hanlen believed Tyrese Haliburton could not reach his ambitions while attempting only 11 shots per game. He challenged Haliburton to take 14 field-goal attempts against Philadelphia as a condition for working together. Haliburton accepted the challenge and scored a career-high 38 points. The performance demonstrated greater scoring aggression, and the two continued working together and speaking after games.

Q: How clutch was Tyrese Haliburton during the 2025 season?

Tyrese Haliburton made 12 of 14 shots that could tie the game or put his team ahead during the final two minutes in the 2025 season. Those results, combined with several major playoff performances, established his late-game effectiveness after fellow NBA players named him the league's most overrated player in an anonymous Athletic poll. His choke celebration also referenced Reggie Miller.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Tyrese Haliburton grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, surrounded by basketball through his father and older brothers. Rejection from a youth program, criticism of his unusual low-release jumper, and a difficult freshman year tested him early. He responded by practicing consistently and maintaining his ambition of reaching the NBA.

• Haliburton led Oshkosh North to its first state championship as a senior, then developed into an efficient, versatile guard at Iowa State. His intelligence, communication, positivity, and willingness to accept coaching impressed observers. By his sophomore college season, he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 steals.

• Sacramento selected Haliburton 12th in the 2020 NBA draft despite concerns about his frame, athleticism, and shooting form. He quickly became an efficient shooter and decision-maker, finished third in rookie of the year voting, and improved during his second season. Later criticism culminated in his clutch 2025 playoff performances.