NBA: Tyrese Haliburton chuffed to be in Rookie of the Year fray, but says it won't affect his assessment of season

For someone who was only picked 12th in the 2020 NBA Draft, Tyrese Haliburton is making waves in his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings.

Haliburton has had 15 starts so far while contributing in 53 games for the Kings — playing as the back-up point guard to De’Aaron Fox — but his contribution on the floor has made some to call him a contender for the year-end Rookie of the Year award.

“Obviously, Rookie of the Year would be a great accolade. It would be great to win it. But at the end of the day, it’s just an award. I’m not going to let it make me feel like I didn’t have a good-enough or great season,” Haliburton told a group of Indian journalists via Zoom on Saturday just before he hosted a virtual session for youngsters of the Reliance Foundation Junior NBA program.

Haliburton’s name is in the mix with players like Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), James Wiseman (Golden State Warriors), and LaMelo Ball (of Charlotte Hornets) — who were the top 3 picks in the 2020 Draft.

“Whether I win it or not, I just want to keep getting better. It’s cool to be in that discussion. But there are some other guys in this draft class who have had amazing seasons,” Haliburton pointed out.

Despite his unorthodox shooting action, the 21-year-old has been christened ‘Little Magic’, a nod to basketball legend Magic Johnson. Haliburton is averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 assists per game with a three-point shooting percentage of 41.5.

“It’s obviously a blessing (to be compared to Magic Johnson). It’s really cool for people to compare me to anybody in the NBA. My whole life I wanted to play in this league. Being compared to any NBA player means the world to me,” he said before adding that while he was flattered by the comparison, he was not going to allow it to get to his head.

“To get here, I had to stay humble and not think I was as good as people would tell me. I always kept that underdog mentality. It’s a great honour, but I know I got to stay grounded to reach the best of my basketball ability.”

While Haliburton grew up idolising LeBron James, he revealed his most cherished moment in the current season came when LeBron’s one-time teammate Kyrie Irving and James Harden pulled him aside for a chat after a game against Brooklyn Nets.

“When we played against the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden and Kyrie Irving pulled me aside to talk to me. That meant the most. These are two guys I have looked up to since the time I started watching basketball. It was awesome to get their words of wisdom. That chat meant that I’m in the NBA now and people are starting to take notice of me.”