Tyrese Haliburton has publicly denounced one of his most popular monikers on social media.
The Indiana Pacers star recently appeared on the “Impaulsive” podcast and was asked about his nickname “The Haliban,” which is a play on the Afghan terrorist group the Taliban.
The nickname was supposedly due to Haliburton terrorizing other teams on the courts with clutch shots throughout the playoffs. But the two-time All-Star called it “unfortunate” that his name was being associated with such a group.
“It’s unfortunate,” Haliburton said of the nickname. “Obviously, the Taliban is a terrible group of people, and it’s unfortunate that on social media it’s become the thing. Obviously, I could never publicly acknowledge it or respond. People would come on my Twitch chat and spam that.”
I can’t believe they actually asked Tyrese about the “Haliban” nickname 😭
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) August 27, 2025
(via @impaulsive) pic.twitter.com/0SJteKk1jQ
Haliburton is widely considered one of the most likable players in the NBA. The man gives incredible interviews and always sounds like a basketball purist who genuinely loves the game. His 2025 NBA postseason run will go down as one of the most memorable in playoff history, despite his Pacers coming a game short of winning a championship.
It’s understandable why someone with a sky-high approval rating would not want to be associated with such a nickname.
Haliburton is recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. But the man has had a busy offseason thus far. The Pacers star got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, then gave John Cena an assist at WWE SummerSlam a week later.
