Tyrese Haliburton: From a Small Wisconsin City to a $244 Million NBA Contract

Basketball is in Tyrese Haliburton‘s blood. His father is a basketball referee, and his cousin Eddie Jones enjoyed a 14-year NBA career, which saw him named an NBA All-Star three times.

However, growing up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a city with a 66,816 population, meant Haliburton would likely have to fly the nest if he wanted to make it big in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Not only has Haliburton made it big, but he recently put pen to paper on a $260 million contract extension.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Early Life

Haliburton was born on February 29, 2000, making him a leap-year baby, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 90 miles from Milwaukee. He has two older brothers and one younger one. He attended Oshkosh North High School and played point guard or shooting guard for the school’s basketball team. During his senior year, Haliburton helped the school win the state championship.

His high school performances led to Haliburton being labeled a three-star recruit, meaning coaches and scouts rated him highly, but there was plenty of room for improvement. Three-star recruits seldom make it to the top of the NBA, but Haliburton was determined to become a superstar and a darling of those using the best Indiana online sports betting sites for NBA games.

Haliburton committed to playing college basketball for Iowa State, and he made an immediate impact for the Cyclones. During his freshman season, he recorded 15 points and 17 assists against the Southern Jaguars, setting a new record for the Iowa State program. While at Iowa State, Haliburton won a gold medal representing the United States at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup.

Tyrese Haliburton’s First Professional Basketball Contract

After only two years with Iowa State, Haliburton opted to forgo his remaining college basketball eligibility and enter the 2020 NBA Draft with his stock at an all-time high. The Sacramento Kings selected him as the 12th overall pick in the first round, offering Haliburton a four-year rookie contract worth $17,878,995.

Haliburton missed the final seven games of his rookie season because of a knee injury, yet he still finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

After playing 51 regular season games during the 2020-21 campaign, Haliburton found himself part of a six-player trade between the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers. He wasted little time in becoming a fan-favorite thanks, in part, to recording 19 points, 17 assists, and nine rebounds against the Detroit Pistons.

The 2022-23 regular season is when Haliburton enjoyed his breakout campaign. He became only the 15th player in NBA history to average at least 20 points and 10 assists for an entire season while becoming the first to do so with a three-point scoring percentage of 40% or more. Unsurprisingly, Haliburton was named to his first-ever NBA All-Star Game.

Through four full seasons as a professional player, Haliburton has played 260 games and averages 17.2 points, 8.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Those are superb figures and will only improve as he gains more experience on the court or transfers to a better team than the struggling Indiana Pacers.

Signing a Mega Money Contract Extension

Being named to the NBA All-Star Game was a significant honor for the man who grew up in Wisconsin, and it ultimately changed his life forever. The Indiana Pacers triggered a five-year contract extension worth $244,623,120 guaranteed! Haliburton signed the mega-money deal in record-quick time. His new contract means he will earn $42.17 million during the upcoming 2024-25 season while enjoying annual increases. His salary for the 2029-30 season is a staggering $55,672,848.

Some players would allow having such a financially rewarding contract to distract them from playing their best basketball. Haliburton is unlike those players. In fact, the opposite is true because he performed to a higher standard after signing the $244 million contract than when he was on a rookie deal. Had injuries not limited him to playing 68 of the 82 scheduled games, Haliburton would likely have set new career-best figures across all metrics.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Personal Life

Haliburton is a practicing Christian whose faith has grown since becoming a basketball star. He openly admitted that he didn’t attend church much as a youngster but now attends as many Sundays as his schedule permits and tries to visit the chapel before NBA games.

He is engaged to Jade Jones, who he met while studying at Iowa State University in 2019. The pair grew closer, and Haliburton credits his partner for providing him with much-needed support during the ups and downs of being a professional athlete.

Jones was an elementary teacher, but she now mainly concentrates on modeling and trying to get her fashion business off the ground.

Away from the basketball court, Haliburton is a WWE fan who has been photographed at several WWE events, including WWE Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.

Tyler Haliburton’s Social Media Presence

Haliburton is active on X, formerly Twitter and Instagram. He has 177,000 followers on X, mostly posting about basketball and WWE. He is closing in on one million followers on Instagram, where he also posts about basketball and WWE but mixes in fashion-related images and videos.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Net Worth

Tyrese Haliburton’s net worthis estimated to be around $5 million, but that was before he signed his $244 million contract extension with the Indiana Pacers. It makes sense that Haliburton’s net worth will skyrocket once his blockbuster contract kicks in.

Not only will his Indiana Pacers salary explode, but Haliburton is set to benefit from lucrative endorsement and sponsorship deals. As one of the NBA’s hottest prospects, he can expect jewelry and fashion companies to clamber for his signature. Additionally, he could charge a small fortune for sponsored posts on his popular social media channels.