Tyrese Haliburton is running at full speed again, ready for Team USA’s Olympics commitment

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton is running full speed and ready to fulfill his national team obligations.

During his end-of-season interview in late May, Haliburton said the hamstring injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference Finals was a completely new injury, unrelated to his previous strain. hamstrings. He added that he would train and rehabilitate in Indianapolis in June before his Olympic obligations with Team USA begin.

Now, three weeks have passed since Haliburton last explained his injury status, he has provided more details on his recovery and Team USA availability. Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Star Guard shared some good news.

“The hamstring is fine. Today I ran full speed for the first time,” Haliburton said at a community event. “I still have three weeks before the USA, I feel good.”

The next day, he provided a few more details at his annual basketball camp in central Indiana. “Health-wise, I’m doing well. I plan on taking another week off from basketball here next week and then going through a pretty rigorous two-week process to get ready for the Olympics,” Haliburton said . “I’ll probably go back to training every day, twice a day, to get everything ready.”

During Game 2 of Indiana’s third-round series against the Boston Celtics, Haliburton suffered left hamstring soreness. He attempted to pass Al Horford in isolation during the second quarter and began having hamstring issues. He was treated at halftime and attempted to make a run in the third quarter, but his season ended during the second half that night.

The Pacers fought hard without their star but couldn’t avoid a sweep against the Celtics. That crushed Haliburton, but he and the team had to consider his long-term health — especially noting that he suffered a different injury to the same hamstring during the regular season. Considering it took him three weeks to run at full speed again, keeping him out of Games 3 and 4 was the right call.

“I could just tell something was wrong,” he noted in late May.

Now the Star Guard is almost complete. And that’s great news for Team USA. Haliburton was named to the 2024 Olympic team in mid-April and this summer in Paris will be his first Olympics. He has prior experience with Team USA.

The proceedings for the red, white and blue will begin on July 6 in Las Vegas, and the team will play an exhibition against Team Canada on July 10. Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard will be part of this Canadian team according to head coach Rick Carlisle.

The U.S. team will then travel overseas for a quartet of exhibitions before the Olympics. The Olympic Games will take place in Paris and will take place from July 26 to August 11. The United States men’s basketball team has already qualified.

“It’s been amazing,” Haliburton said of the U.S. team’s debate preparation. He noted that the process was beginning to accelerate. “I’m really excited about it… Playing with guys that I’ve looked up to my whole life, other top players in the league, and who are representing our country.”

Haliburton wants to compete in as many Olympics as possible. He’s excited to be one of the young guys on a roster with Team USA veterans. “These are stories that are going to be told forever,” he said last Friday.

Haliburton averaged 20.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game last season and was named to the All-NBA third team. It was a tremendous season for the two-time All-Star, and it follows his appearances with Team USA last summer in the 2023 FIBA ​​Men’s Basketball World Cup. The 24-year-old will use this international experience to prepare for the Olympics.