Tyrese Haliburton reacts to being part of ROTY discussions in special Indian interaction

Before this season began, the Sacramento Kings chose Tyrese Haliburton as the No.12 overall pick at the 2020 NBA Draft. With teams like Golden State Warriors having the No. 2 pick, Haliburton's performance in his rookie NBA campaign was not something anyone could have predicted. Last month, before speaking to children for the Reliance Foundation Jr NBA program, Haliburton interacted with Indian reporters, discussing his rookie year and the Kings' season. Here is more on the Tyrese Haliburton contract and how he felt during the 2020 NBA Draft -

Tyrese Haliburton interview

"Rookie of the Year is a great achievement and accolade," Haliburton said, speaking a little about his season, and the other rookies drafted with him. However, he is determined to not let it affect how he feels about his season. While the team's game has been "up and down all year", the 21-year-old aims to get better every night, learning. 

"It's nice to be a part of the discussion but there are other guys in this draft who have had an amazing season like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Patrick Williams, the list goes on and on.  It's awesome to be in that conversation but at the end of the day, I just want to keep getting better every day and keep working to be the best version of myself". 

From one NBA award to another, the Kings rookie also discussed who he thought might be the NBA MVP this year. "They say that the big man is dead in the NBA but to be honest I think it's either Nikola Jokić or Joel Embiid and it is going to be between those two.  Flip a coin, it’s going to be either of these two, they've been playing amazingly well," he said, maybe leaning a little towards the Philadelphia 76ers centre, who – as per Haliburton – is proving that "big men are still very prevalent" in the game. 

He spoke a little about his game, which has been all about learning the tricks of the NBA – getting to the free-throw line more and using his body better. "I think these have been the biggest things because it's just about learning the tricks to start the season well or to play throughout the year. These tricks and things I can use going into next season as I continue my career". 

The Wisconsin native promoted the importance of a strong foundation one should have, which only strengthens the idea of the Jr NBA program. "It is very important to have a strong foundation and know what's important and what you need to work on.  I still do warm-up drills which I've been doing since I was 11-12 years old and nothing's changed on that front.  I bet if you ask a lot of guys in the NBA, they’ll say the same thing, so it's born out of foundation because that's what builds your game and that's how you get better". 

MRI set for Monday morning on the left knee of Sacramento’s outstanding rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton, but there’s initial optimism he may have avoided a serious injury, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/qJDqEahPr5

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2021

That being said, Haliburton is currently out with a knee injury during the Kings' 111-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Head coach Luke Walton remained hopeful about the injury, adding that Haliburton would be undergoing an MRI this week. As of now, the team is yet to officially make a comment about his status for future games. Haliburton scored 11 points during the game, and is ruled out vs the OKC Thunder on Tuesday (Wednesday IST). 

Tyrese Haliburton contract

As per reports, Haliburton is earning $17.8 million with his four-year deal with the Kings. He will be making $3.8 million in his first NBA season. Recently, he also inked an endorsement deal with Nike. 

(Image credits: Tyrese Haliburton Instagram)