Get to Know Tyrese Haliburton: Pacers Star on High School Musical, Steve Urkel and MORE

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has had quite a year: he was named an All-Star, recently signed a max contract extension with the team and just appeared on the cover of SLAM 245.

In our cover story, Haliburton opens up about his journey thus far and how he “loves” proving all the doubters wrong. Still, the 23-year-old doesn’t take himself too seriously. Basketball, he says, is a “child’s game,” and brings him back to memories of having a ball in his crib and playing video games. That’s the joy behind Haliburton’s ever-apparent smile when he’s out there on the hardwood.

“When I’m playing basketball, it’s just fun,” he told SLAM. “It’s like I’m a kid again, you know? And that’s what I love about it. This isn’t a job for me. This is a passion of mine and something I really love to do.”

Read the full story here.

To get to know the All-Star more, we sat down with Haliburton and surprised him with items from his past for the latest episode of “Bag Talk.” Check it out below.