It was a disappointing end to the season for the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton. The Boston Celtics finished off the sweep of Indiana on Monday in the Eastern Conference Finals. While three of the four games were highly competitive, Boston found a way to close them all out.
The last two games of the series saw the 24-year-old Haliburton sidelined with a hamstring strain. The All-NBA Third Team member first sustained a hamstring injury in January, and it resurfaced during Game 3 against the Celtics. While the Pacers can now focus on the offseason, Haliburton does have plans for the summer.
Will Pacers Star Be Ready For Team USA In Olympics?
Will Tyrese Haliburton Be Available For The Olympics?
Speaking of disappointing finishes, that was the case for Team USA in the men’s basketball FIBA World Cup held last year. They failed to even medal after losing to Canada in the bronze medal game. Many star players from the USA were bothered by the results of that tournament and vowed to play in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The hamstring injury could put into question whether the 6-5” Haliburton would be able to suit up for Team USA in Paris. After speaking with Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star, it doesn’t seem as if it will be an issue.
Haliburton said he doesn’t expect the injury to be a problem for the Olympics because he has six weeks to recover before he has to report to camp. Said he’ll do the rehab work in Indy.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) May 28, 2024
Much Success Since NBA Players Have Been Allowed
It was in 1989 that FIBA changed their rules that would now allow professional players to get involved in international tournaments including the Olympics. The first Olympics where this occurred was at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Team USA fielded a team that is still one of the most historic basketball teams of all time. Referred to as the ‘Dream Team’, USA steamrolled through all their opponents en route to a gold medal.
Eleven of the 12 members on that roster eventually found their way into the Basketball Hall of Fame. They are David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Magic Johnson. USA has won gold in men’s basketball in six of the seven Olympics since that historic 1992 team. The one Olympics they did not was in 2004, where they won bronze.
Team USA Roster Is Stacked For 2024 Olympics
It was almost a month and a half ago since USA’s men’s basketball roster was announced. The star-studded roster includes the aforementioned Haliburton along with Bam Adebayo, Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Jayson Tatum.
On paper, it’s hard to see how that team could be beaten. Fans of the sport are well aware though of how many superstar players are not from the USA. One of those is Victor Wembanyama, whose France team brings with it a lot of NBA talent. The group stage is set to tip-off on July 27 with the gold medal game taking place on August 10.
