LeBron James reacts to Tyrese Haliburton’s ‘insane’ throwback pictures as NBA stars celebrate Team USA Olympic gold
TEAM USA star Tyrese Haliburton has shared his childhood pictures to celebrate winning gold at the Paris Olympics alongside his hero LeBron James.
And the four-time NBA champion, 39, saluted the Indiana Pacers playmaker on his journey to Olympic glory.
Haliburton, 24, posted the photos on Tuesday after, the Pacers star claimed, he received them from his mother earlier in the morning.
In one snap, the former first-round pick could be seen posing in James' No. 23 jersey from the 2024 All-Star Game.
He wore the four-time NBA MVP's St. Vincent-St. Mary high school top in the other.
Haliburton added a third picture, showing him and LeBron with gold medals around their necks.
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"Life crazy lol," the Iowa State product captioned the X post.
And it didn't escape James' attention.
"Haha! Crazy bro!!! WOW!!" the Los Angeles Lakers forward responded, adding praying, salute, and crown emojis.
NBA fans loved the touching exchange.
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"Halliburton and Ant really got to play with they idols we’ll never see something like this again," one posted.
"Full circle moment," another added.
"So inspiring, dreams really do come thru!" a third said.
"You are the whole league's inspiration it’s actually insane, kids that looked up to you and watched you play are now going up against you," one rote.
"It’s insane to think about. YOU ARE THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE LEAGUE."
Haliburton didn't play a lot in Paris, appearing in three of Team USA's six games.
NATIONS TO WIN OLYMPIC GOLD IN BASKETBALL
MEN'S:
- USA - 17
- Soviet Union - 2
- Yugoslavia - 1
Argentina - 1
WOMEN'S:
- USA - 10
- Soviet Union - 2
- '92 Unified Team - 1
The 6-point-5 guard averaged 2.7 points, 0.7 assists, and 0.3 steals.
His limited time on the court was a result of the tremendous amount of talent coach Steve Kerr's side boasted on the roster.
Team USA sent an Avengers-like crew to Paris – including James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant, among others – to make up for the Americans' fourth-placed finish at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
And they put on a show in the French capital.
LeBron claimed the MVP award for his all-around performance while Curry cemented his status as the game's best-ever shooter with a stunning barrage of 3s in the final two clashes.
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The Avengers won the 17th Olympic gold medal for the US in men's basketball.
A day later, the US women's basketball team claimed its eighth straight – and ninth overall.