INDIANAPOLIS — Friday, Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton was out in the community. He was at Fall Creek and 30th Park to be a part of a ceremony that unveiled a renovated basketball court.
It was the first of five courts that are being refurbished. The Parks Alliance of Indianapolis is heavily involved in the effort, and CEO Rusty Carr was one of the first people to speak at the event.
“These places are sacred to us,” he said of the park and basketball court. “They teach us so much about ourselves.”
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Pacers CEO Mel Raines were also among the speakers at the event. Haliburton closed the speaking proceedings by talking more about his community involvement and why the park is so special to him. He explained that he drives past this specific court often on his way to and from Pacers events, so he was excited to see it renovated.
“It’s really important for me that I’m invested in this community moving forward,” Haliburton said last summer after he signed a contract extension with the Pacers. He continued to detail on those commitments during the event on Friday and re-affirmed that Indiana feels like home to him.
Two Pacers front office members were in attendance, as was much of Haliburton’s family. “This is really exciting for me and my family,” Haliburton said, noting that he loves giving back. He has a basketball camp coming up this weekend.
After the speakers, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony. Haliburton followed that up by speaking with kids playing basketball and meeting with media members to share his love for Indiana and events like this.
“It’s cool to be here, be in front of people. I think sometimes we get lost in just people you see on TV are these mythical beings. We’re human at the end of the day, so it’s cool to be in front of people,” Haliburton said.
The court features designs from the Pacers City edition uniforms from this season. The team shared in a statement that the coloring and design was about the city having fierceness and being vibrant.
“A lot of my fondest memories are working out outside,” Haliburton said. “I think it’s an important part of the game. You learn so much being outside.”
Haliburton just finished an All-NBA season. He is recovering from a hamstring injury, and his next basketball action will come for Team USA in July. All of Haliburton’s comments can be found here.