Mind the Game: Tyrese Haliburton on How He and the Pacers Changed the NBA

Podcast: Mind the Game
Hosts: LeBron James (with Stephen Curry guest co-hosting for Steve Nash)
Guest: Tyrese Haliburton
Date: January 27, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special Season 3 episode, NBA star Tyrese Haliburton joins LeBron James and guest host Stephen Curry for a deep dive into how Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have influenced modern NBA offense. The trio explores evolving playing styles, strategic innovation, the challenges of sustained peak performance, and the human elements that define today's game, including recovery, mindset, and career legacy. Personal stories from the Olympics and candid discussion on league policy and injury further ground the episode in a player's perspective.

Major Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sustaining Elite Performance into Your 40s

00:48–07:10

• LeBron on Longevity: LeBron shares candidly about continuing to play at an elite level past age 40, describing the toll of back-to-backs and the challenge of preparing his body after early-season injuries.
  • “It's kind of like weird too at times… I wake up on game days and I'll be like, I don't got it, man. I don't have the energy… it took a lot out of me obviously getting ready for the season, as well documented, my injury.” — LeBron James (02:48)
• Haliburton’s Perspective: 25-year-old Haliburton empathizes, articulating the exhaustion young players feel and questioning how aging stars like LeBron adapt over time.
• The Challenge of Recovery: The physical burden of travel, unfamiliar beds, and different time zones is highlighted as a lesser-discussed barrier to peak performance.
  • “All the different beds that we have to sleep in… that's hard on your body… just trying to find some type of pattern, some type of comfort.” — LeBron James (05:32)

2. Evolving Your Game With Age and the Changing League

07:10–10:12

• LeBron’s Growth Mindset: He emphasizes the need to adapt as the league changes—from methodical, slow-paced early 2000s ball to today’s fast-paced, space-heavy systems.
  • “You have to be able to see the table turn, and you have to be able to evolve with it if you want to continue to stay… with what's going on with the game.” — LeBron James (07:14)
• Adapting Usage and Skillset: LeBron talks about taking on new roles off the ball, using post play, and mastering four-on-three situations as usage decreases with age.
• Previewing Indy’s Unique Offense: LeBron bridges to Haliburton’s Pacers, describing their style as “random, but not random. Chaos, but not chaos.”

3. The Pacers’ Offensive Revolution

10:12–15:50

• Origins in Indiana: Haliburton describes arriving on a Pacers team with “no identity,” learning chemistry the hard way with Buddy Hield. Initially, their offense was rudimentary—just passing back and forth between the two.
  • “We played… a lot of Buddy ball… set the blur screen. I’m gonna come off, I’m gonna throw it to you… just passing the ball to each other the whole game.” — Tyrese Haliburton (11:07–11:39)
• Coach Rick Carlisle’s (RC) Role: RC encouraged more randomness—less play-calling, more improvisation—recognizing the natural chemistry and pushing Haliburton to read the game on the fly.
  • “Hey man, I don't want to call plays. I want you to dictate what we do more. I want to play more random. It's harder to scout that way.” — Rick Carlisle via Haliburton (12:20)
• Building Around Chaos: The Pacers intentionally added players like Pascal Siakam to complement this system. LeBron notes their ability to play “12 guys at times” to keep pace high.

Notable Moment:

“If we win that [in-season tournament] game, do we ever trade for Pascal? I don't know.”
— Tyrese Haliburton (14:01)

4. The Jump Pass—From Taboo to Tactical Weapon

18:10–20:43

• LeBron on the Jump Pass: He calls it “one of your greatest assets,” reminiscing how coaches always warned against leaving your feet to pass.
  • “I see you make it. I mean, obviously I play with Luka. Luka jumps, jumps, hold, hold, see who's the MiG… Like, how did you kind of change the misconception of, like, that pass being so dynamic?” — LeBron James (18:10)
• Haliburton’s Response: Credits watching LeBron, Magic, and others—using his height and athleticism to read in the air. He stresses that he always jumps with a plan.
• Teaching Point: Coaches are right—don’t jump unless you have a plan—but when done well, it stretches defenses and unlocks advanced ball movement.
  • “When I jump, I feel like I always have a plan. I feel like that's the thing that coaches and people, when they teach it, if you're going to jump, have a plan.” — Tyrese Haliburton (20:19)

5. The Reality of Injury and Injury Recovery

20:43–24:49

• Haliburton's Rehab Update: Gives a transparent look at his eight-month recovery, returning to three-on-three and four-on-four play.
  • “I'm up 30 pounds, bro. And obviously, as I start to run, I’m [going to] get that off. Some of it's not, like, good ‘cause, you know, I've been drowning my sorrows in cookies and ice cream.” — Tyrese Haliburton (23:52)
• Learning From the Sidelines: He’s watched players like Payton Pritchard to pick up tricks on drawing contact and getting to the line, aiming to grow physically and mentally.
• Growth Mindset: Emphasizes embracing the time away to analyze and expand his game.

6. The 65-Game Minimum and Its Ripple Effects

24:49–31:17

• LeBron on the Rule: Expresses skepticism about the new 65-game eligibility requirement for awards, especially as soft-tissue injuries and higher game pace make attendance harder for stars.
  • “Now, you see, the new high ankle sprain is the calf… It's a totally different game now.” — LeBron James (30:54)
• Haliburton—Impact on Careers and Legacy: The rule can damage legacies and limit Supermax contracts; he expects it will eventually be revised.
  • “What I think about is in 20, 30 years… they're going over the list of accolades and they’re telling me… he was ineligible, and they don't know that.” — Tyrese Haliburton (27:27)
• Player Perspective: Both argue that most players want to play and that context—injuries, evolving playstyles—should be considered in award protocol.

7. Olympic Gold: Behind the Scenes and On the Court

33:12–40:27

Memorable Quotes/Moments:

• Behind the Olympic Curtain: The hosts and Haliburton share stories from the Paris Olympics, covering everything from practice battles to bus rides and gold-medal emotions.
  • “Let's talk about the Olympics, man… some of our practices, some of our bus rides… like our practices was crazy when we used to compete.” — LeBron James (33:12)
• The KD “Who's Guarding Steph?” Story:

  “One of my favorite quotes from that… doc is when KD said, but who’s guarding Steph? That’s going to help y’all guard Steph.”
  — LeBron James (34:03)

• Learning Olympic Roles: Haliburton shares the tough realization of being a bench player amid 12 stars.
  • “As we start film, I’m like, but who are they talking about? … Oh, they talking about me. I’m sitting there, I’m like, oh, no, this is what it is … I was like, it's over. It's over, man. I ain't getting no PT out here.” — Tyrese Haliburton (35:11)
• Serbia Clash: They reminisce about the tense semifinal game vs. Serbia, when momentum and star performances changed the tide.
  • “We never felt like we were gonna lose a game ever… we were down… going into the fourth, and Steve and Ty and Spo over there… talking about what we gonna do.” — Stephen Curry (36:50–37:15)
• Steph’s Redemption and Relationships: They discuss Curry erupting in the final after a cold Olympics, and the deep bonds formed between teammates.
  • “I feel like it's gotten—I have a deeper relationship with all you guys, and that’s something I’m very thankful for.” — Stephen Curry (40:22)

Key Quotes with Timestamps

• LeBron James on Sustained Excellence:
  “I’m just trying to squeeze as much juice out of the lemon, out of the orange, out of whatever that’s left, as much as I can and just continue to go on and play the game that I love.”
  [03:46]

• Tyrese Haliburton on the Pacers’ Offensive Identity:
  “I felt like establishing that when we weren’t good… allowed us to go into that following year… and RC to pull me aside and just be like, ‘Hey man, I don’t want to call plays. I want you to dictate what we do more. I want to play more random. It’s harder to scout that way.’”
  [11:38]

• LeBron James on the 65-Game Rule:
  “You can’t tell me that Jokic is not all NBA now all of a sudden because he’s missed, you know, 30 games… this guy’s averaging 29, 13 and 14 or some shit like that.”
  [26:22]

• Tyrese Haliburton on Legacy and Awards:
  “In 20, 30 years… they’re going over the list of accolades… he was ineligible, and they don’t know that. And that could skew it in that way, which I don’t necessarily appreciate…”
  [27:27]

• Steph Curry on Olympic Camaraderie:
  “There’s the NBA relationship where you see somebody… but I feel like I have a deeper relationship with all you guys, and that’s something I’m very thankful for.”
  [40:15]

Notable/Entertaining Stories

• Blunt Bench Realization (@35:11): Haliburton’s recounting of his first Olympics and recognizing, mid-team meeting, he’d be a deep reserve—a humorous yet human insight into USA Basketball’s ego management.
• KD “Who’s guarding Steph?” Line (@34:03): Now-legendary, it highlights the unique problems Steph poses, even among NBA superstars.
• Serbia Semifinal Drama (@36:35–37:37): Chilling memories from the close-call victory and Steph’s timely takeover—emphasizing the razor-thin margins of Olympic gold.

Important Timestamps for Segments

• 00:48 — LeBron’s perspective on still playing at 41
• 04:45 — Handling back-to-backs with age
• 07:10 — Adjusting play style with age and game evolution
• 10:12 — Haliburton breaks down Indy’s offensive transformation
• 14:01 — Reflection on in-season tournament impact and Pascal trade
• 18:10 — The art and evolution of the jump pass
• 20:43 — Haliburton’s injury recovery, learning from the sidelines
• 24:49 — 65-game minimum discussion: legacy and economics
• 33:12 — Olympic gold: practice, drama, and personal growth
• 36:35 — The Serbia game and Steph’s iconic hot streak

Episode Tone & Style

Conversational, candid, and rich with player perspective—mixing technical X’s & O’s with authentic banter and vulnerability. Lots of humor, mutual respect, and direct player-to-player talk, punctuated with stats, memories, and the occasional friendly jab.

Summary Written For:
Fans, casual listeners, and basketball nerds alike—this summary supplies a comprehensive look at a landmark episode that bridges the tactical with the personal, offering a masterclass in both basketball innovation and the human side of pro sports.