Reggie Miller on Tyrese Haliburton: "He Brings People Together"

You can count Reggie Miller among Tyrese Haliburton's biggest fans.

Miller, the greatest player in franchise history, is back in Indianapolis for NBA All-Star 2024. Now in his 19th season with Turner Sports as a broadcaster, Miller sung the praises of Haliburton, Indiana's 23-year-old phenom point guard, during a press conference on Friday afternoon in downtown Indianapolis.

"I really do believe that he can carry this team to a championship," the Hall of Famer said of Haliburton.

On Sunday, Haliburton will become just the fourth Pacer ever to start the All-Star Game, joining a list that includes Miller, Jermaine O'Neal, and Paul George. He'll do it in front of the home fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and with Miller on the mic for TNT.

Miller was on the call earlier this season in Las Vegas when Haliburton's heroics lifted Indiana to a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the In-Season Tournament Semifinals.

"We are witnessing a superstar in the making," Miller declared at the time.

He doubled down on those remarks on Friday. Beyond Haliburton's elite playmaking skills, Miller sees a unique quality in how Haliburton carries himself and commands the respect of his teammates.

“He brings people together," Miller said. "If you watch Tyrese play, it’s never been about him. It’s been about us. What can we do to win tonight? I think he would be happy with four points and 24 assists and the victory as opposed to a 40-point game in a loss.

"The way his teammates look at him, they look at him like they look at LeBron (James), they look at him like they look at (Nikola) Jokic, they look at him like they look at Giannis (Antetokounmpo). Like we can do anything with this dude out there. And I see that."

Miller regaled the media for over a half-hour on Friday, telling stories from his playing days as well as his insight into the current Pacers and the rest of the league.

“It’s always fun to come home, especially for an event like this," Miller said.

"We know how to do these type of events and then add to it that it's basketball. I mean, no pun intended, it's a slam dunk, right? Because when you think about basketball, whether it's at the high school, college, or the professional level, you think of Hoosiers and you think of Indiana. So I'm excited to be back for it."

Miller was a five-time All-Star, with his first All-Star selection coming in 1990 in Miami in just his third NBA season.

"I remember in 1990 walking into the locker room for the first time, and there's Larry (Bird) and there's Isiah (Thomas) and there was Jordan and there was Joe Dumars and there was Robert Parish, there was Charles (Barkley), Patrick (Ewing)," Miller said. "And I'm thinking to myself, like, 'What am I doing here?'"

"That's what I remember the most, being humbled walking into that locker room, going over to the corner because I didn't want to look anyone in the eyes because I couldn't believe I was in the same (room)...I'm sure that's what Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander) and Tyrese and some of these guys will be experiencing when a LeBron walks into the room. I mean, it's that type of feeling."

Miller also reflected on his relationship with Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who coached him twice in his playing career, first as an assistant under Bird and later as the head coach. Miller said he and Carlisle remain in touch as "text buddies."

He recalled how Carlisle used to work individually with Miller, pushing him to develop more offensive counters to be ready in the playoffs when defenses keyed in on him.

"I can’t tell you guys how much in terms of my personal development as a player, and as a man to a certain degree, Coach Carlisle has had on me," Miller said.

"It's been good to see how he's been re-energized with this younger team and this development that he has with them. It's kind of cool to see."

Miller recently sat down with Bird and Thomas to film a special called "Indiana Glory," where the three Hall of Famers with ties to the Hoosier state traded stories from their playing days. "Indiana Glory" will air on Saturday at 4:30 PM ET on TNT.

Miller said he was stunned by how open Bird and Thomas were discussing their careers and even their own rivalry from their playing days, calling it "jaw-dropping" and "eye-opening."

"We went there," Miller said.

As for Miller, being back in Indiana brings back a lot of special memories. He spent his entire 18-year career with the Pacers and even though he was born and raised in Southern California, he said on Friday that he felt like he grew up in the Hoosier state.

When asked to describe Indiana fans in one word, Miller said "family." His own family is with him this week, including his son Ryker, who he had sit in the hot seat and field a few questions from the media at the conclusion of his press conference (while Ryker is a big Steph Curry fan, he said his dad was the better shooter, much to Reggie's delight).

Miller doesn't make it back to Indiana too often these days, but whenever he does, the memories come flooding back. Perhaps no player has a deeper connection with a city than Miller does with Indianapolis.

"I think the coolest thing for me for 18 years here was come playoff time when you would leave your house, and I'm leaving my development, getting ready to come downtown for a game," Miller said. "And there's kids outside with signs, with banners, posters, they spent all day thinking of something to write, to put it on their lawn, cheering you on as you're driving out.

"So when I say family and a sense of community, that's why I always felt that we were in this together. We laughed and we did a lot of crying together as well. And that's what I loved about my 18 years here."