Halliburton: He has shouldered heavy responsibilities but never bowed his head, fighting for Indiana to defeat his strongest opponent

At 127 Michigan Street, downtown Indianapolis, a 60-foot-tall mural outlines the image of Reggie Miller, the city's most beloved basketball player. As the greatest player in Indiana Pacers' history, Miller is not only a member of the Hall of Fame, but also a folk hero in the hearts of the locals. Even though he never won the NBA championship, he still receives heroic applause every time he returns to his hometown.

Miller is not only a legend in the local area, but also a folk hero as the greatest Pacers player. Speaking of the Hall of Fame member, those who have witnessed his peak would say, "Although Miller is worthy of such honors even though he is only two wins away from winning the championship in the 2000 NBA Finals." Even without the ring, they thought Miller worth more than this mural.

However, Miller himself doesn't think so, he said recently on the All The Smoke podcast: "Not winning the championship will always bother me. I had a chance, which is why it makes me so painful." Miller's regretful make-up man

But now, his successor, Tyreth Halliburton, may be able to make up for his regret this season.

' performance at Halliburton's critical moment this year's playoffs inspired the entire city and even the entire state, awakening the Indians' memories of Bobby Pack. The local legend is famous for his last-minute jump shot in the 1954 state final, which helped Milan High School upset to defeat Monsy Central High School to win the state championship. Part of the inspiration for the movie "Hoosiers" comes from the story of Milan High School.

Halliburton is directing his own "Hoosiers"-style journey. He hits key balls again and again, trying to lead the Pacers to win his first NBA championship in 56 years. In this year's playoffs, the Pacers fell behind four times in the last five seconds, while Halliburton equalized or won the game four times with key points.

Recent example? In his NBA Finals debut, he hit a 21-foot jump shot with 0.3 seconds left, defeating the Thunder and regaining his home advantage in the Finals.

"I never doubt our team, nor myself," Halliburton said after the Pacers won. "If I lose confidence in the last-minute shot, we might be done. So, I have to stick to my beliefs, stay confident, and continue to create opportunities." Kevin Pritchard, president of basketball operations at Pacers, saw Halliburton's potential long before many people. He publicly expressed his confidence without waiting for Halliburton to shock the whole game at home at the Thunder. Pritchard called Halliburton’s next idol before playing for the team after he went from the Kings to the Pacers (February 2022).

"We think that when we give more of the ball to Tyres, he can really shine at the age of 21," Pritchard said a few hours before Halliburton's first appearance for the Pacers. "To me, getting a player like Peyton Manning and Andrew Lark."

Apparently, after Halliburton was carrying the burden of turning the Pacers' fate, Pritchard's bold words increased the pressure. Fortunately, he has fulfilled his promise. In his third full season as a team, he led the team back to the NBA Finals after 25 years, currently tied 1-1 with the Thunder. He needs to rebound after his second crushing defeat, but people are full of confidence in him. This confidence stems from the resilience of Halliburton they witnessed throughout the season, who successfully copes with the greater scrutiny he faces as a star player.

"I'm proud of the way he handled everything," Pacers' oldest player Miles Turner said after the team eliminated the Knicks to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. "It's stressful to be that core character...it's happening too quickly, but he's pretty good at keeping his cool and standing up at the most critical moments."

"So, yes, it makes sense when you say he's Peyton Manning or Andrew Lark of the city."

Since Halliburton was traded to Indiana, the trajectory of his career over the past three or more seasons suggests that his jersey will one day be likely to hang on the dome of the Gainbridge Arena. The experience of two NBA All-Stars, two All-League third-team, Olympic gold medals and NBA Finals has put Halliburton at a rare height. And before him, the only player who achieved similar achievements under the Pacers' uniform was Miller.

Step out of the struggle and respond with sincerity to the spotlight

Despite the outside world's praise for his rapid rise, Halliburton admitted that he was not perfect and that he had moments of vulnerability and self-doubt. Just unlike most athletes, Halliburton refuses to repeat the clichés in sports. Instead, he often treats media interviews as additional psychotherapy.

In the first media interview when the King traded to the Pacers, if heartbroken and had a face, it would be what Halliburton looked like at the time. He did not hide the pain, but faced it calmly. "It's scary. I've put a lot of love, a lot of trust in Sacramento," he said. "One of my biggest strengths is love with all my heart... It's probably my biggest strength, but it's also my biggest weakness." Last year, when Halliburton went through the worst shooting trough of his career, he admitted that he was too angry with the people around him: "Now everyone's advice to me is, 'You have to smile, have a little more fun.' I honestly confessed to them, 'What's funny?'".

Even at the beginning of this year's magical journey, there were lonely and terrible moments. After not scoring a single point after losing to the Knicks in the second away game of the season, Halliburton felt like he was trapped in what he called "basketball depression" and eventually he had to seek help from his loved ones..

"I didn't dare to look in the mirror," Halliburton said in an interview with The Athletic.

Now, Indiana is only three wins away from its first NBA title, Halliburton believes those dark days help him meet the challenges ahead with the right perspective and passion.

"Understanding that I am a person, I think that's what matters most to me," Halliburton said last week. "When I perform well, the public will praise me higher; when I perform poorly, I will be deprecated. People may say something that makes you feel denied... So, a person needs to know where to seek peace. For me, that's my friends and family, that's faith. These two things allow me to be down-to-earth."

Fighting for Indiana, to beat the strongest opponent, Miller served as a sideline commentator for TNT when the Pacers advanced to the finals, and he enjoyed watching his successor find his way. The new team's face inherited Miller's confidence back then—including that unique jump shot and occasional "throat-locking" gesture. "His teammates look at him," Miller said on the All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. "Just like they look at LeBron (James), Jokic, Antetokounmpo, like 'With this guy here, we can do anything.' I really believe he can lead the team to the championship." Haliburton now has his own mural in Indianapolis, although not as big as Miller. But this is not his goal. He needs a championship ring, inlaid with diamonds that can only be forged under the pressure of the finals.

Halliburton said of the Thunder: "If we are going to win the championship, I don't want to win in other ways, I don't want to bypass or cross, I want to break through head-on. You want to beat the strongest opponent and face the biggest challenge."