What Are Tyrese Haliburton and This All-Star Center Secretly Planning During the Playoffs?

Here’s a wild thought: what if the secret behind Tyrese Haliburton’s playoff surge isn’t just hours of practice or X’s and O’s, but blunt texts from an unlikely mentor on the other side of the country? As the Indiana Pacers guard lights up the postseason with a newfound fire, it turns out his playoff pep talk is coming straight from none other than Joel Embiid – yes, that Joel Embiid, the Sixers star who’s no stranger to battling critics himself. It’s a curious friendship forged on Team USA’s golden hardwood, now fueling Haliburton’s confidence with a steady stream of encouragement… and perhaps a little tough love. With this in mind, how much do we underestimate the power of off-court camaraderie in shaping an athlete’s mental game? Let’s dive into the text threads that could be shifting the narrative for the Pacers and one of the NBA’s brightest rising stars.

In a recent piece for The Athletic, Jared Weiss wrote about how Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers found his joy for basketball again.

Haliburton has been playing like a man on a mission, someone who wants to prove what he is capable of and what his team can achieve.

He has done that partly because of the support of his family and teammates and also because of his NBA opponents.

Haliburton apparently keeps in close contact with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, who has been encouraging him during the playoffs.

“Haliburton credits Embiid and Tatum for ‘keeping it 100’ conversations that helped him build that immunity to rejection. Embiid, who has been subject to ridicule as he fails to stay healthy, has been texting with Haliburton throughout the postseason, imploring him to shoot the ball more,” Weiss wrote.

Whatever Embiid has been telling Haliburton has worked because he has been sensational during the playoffs, and his team currently holds a 2-0 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

​For the 2024-25 season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.2 assists on 47.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from the three-point line.

The year has not been without its troubles, and Haliburton has had many critics, especially at the start of the season.

Embiid knows a thing or two about critics, and he also knows how to push through all the noise.

He and Haliburton surely discussed that during their many text conversations.

Haliburton, Embiid, and Jayson Tatum were all members of Team USA and won a gold medal together last summer.

During that time, they grew closer, and the friendship clearly still remains.

Haliburton is currently playing like someone who is loving every second on the court and ready to do even more in the days ahead.

Pacers fans can thank Embiid for that.

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