Watch: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton gets sweet NBA All-Star treat from teammate's wife ahead of weekend showdown
Tyrese Haliburton recently earned his second All-Star selection amid an impressive season. After earning his first All-Star selection last year, Haliburton has taken his game to the next level. Despite averaging a career-high 20.7 points and 10.4 assists per game last season, the 23-year-old has managed to improve in all areas.
This season, his PPG average is up to 21.8, while his APG is up to 11.7 while averaging 1.6 less minutes per game this season. At the same time, Tyrese Haliburton has been just as efficient shooting-wise. Converting 49.2% of his attempts from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc.
Given his standout performance this season, Haliburton was named as a 2024 All-Star, marking another milestone in his already impressive career. Ahead of this weekend's festitivites, Haliburton was gifted a remarkable cake to celebrate.
The gift came courtesy of James Johnson's wife, who owns a bakery in Toronto. The remarkable cake features a basketball on top, with Tyrese Haliburton's name and number on the side beneath the NBA All-Star logo. Check out a picture and video of the cake, courtesy of the Indiana Pacers, below:
Looking at Tyrese Haliburton's All-Star caliber season and his impact on the Indiana Pacers
As previously stated, this season has been a big one for Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. Despite his stellar play last season, Haliburton only played in 56 games due to injuries. This season, although he missed some time due to lingering lower-body injuries, the Pacers are sitting in a better position.
Last season, the team finished with a 35-47 record that saw them finish in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. This year, they're on track to surpass that win total. Currently, they sit in sixth place in the East with a 31-25 record.
In addition, the Pacers also made waves and put the league on notice during the NBA In-Season Tournament. They managed to go undefeated all the way up until the championsip game, where they lost to the LA Lakers.
Early this season, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle heaped the praise on Tyrese Haliburton. Comparing him to the likes of Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd. Speaking with media members after a November win over the Atlanta Hawks, Carlisle spoke about his star guard's playmaking abilities:
"Certain guys have the ability to deliver the ball in a way that creates confidence for teammates. I saw Jason Kidd do it. I saw Luka Doncic do it. And now, we're seeing Tyrese do it."
During All-Star weekend, Haliburton will take center stage once again for both the three-point contest on Saturday and All-Star game on Saturday. He will have added pressure this year as he'll be representing the host city.