Haliburton buys student tickets for Pacers' Iowa State return — SkimNews
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- Tyrese Haliburton bought tickets for the student section of the Pacers' first preseason game at Iowa State on Wednesday, prompting the university to run a lottery for student seats
- Haliburton told reporters Tuesday the game marks his return more than 16 months after tearing his Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, and he hopes to play at least the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Haliburton attended Iowa State from 2018 to 2020 before being a first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, met his now-wife Jade there, and proposed to her on Iowa State's court
- Pacers GM Chad Buchanan, a Des Moines native, was the key logistical reason Haliburton could host a game at his alma mater, per Haliburton
- Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the game was originally scheduled for 2025 but was pushed back after Haliburton's injury, making this week's contest the rescheduled version
Why it matters: The Wednesday game is both a personal comeback for Haliburton — his first since a torn Achilles in the 2025 NBA Finals — and a campus homecoming, since the arena is his alma mater where he met and proposed to his wife. The Pacers' flexibility to relocate a preseason game for one player reflects how central Haliburton is to the franchise's identity heading into his return.
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