Pacers’ Haliburton Embraces Villain Role on the Road
ORLANDO, FL – Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton readily admits to enjoying a contrasting reception depending on the arena. While a beloved figure in Indiana, Haliburton embraces the role of a ”heel” – a wrestling term for a villain – when playing on opposing teams’ home courts. He recently discussed this dynamic during an appearance on the What’s Your Story? podcast.
“I think that I’m a heel by nature. When I’m not in Indiana,” Haliburton explained. “Here, I think I smile a lot, I have fun. People enjoy when I’m here. They cheer me here,but anywhere outside of Indiana,I’m kind of a bad guy. I enjoy it. It’s so much more fun.”
This willingness to play the antagonist was recently on display during a guest appearance on WWE NXT in Orlando. Despite assurances from NXT executive Shawn Michaels that the crowd would be receptive,Haliburton was met with boos even before the televised portion of the event began while overseeing a contract signing between Ethan Page and Trick Williams.
Drawing on his wrestling fandom, Haliburton quickly adapted, employing a time-tested tactic for generating crowd heat.”I have to take a jab at their sports teams. I guess that’s kind of the go-to that I’ve tried to learn,” he said. “Like The Rock in Sacramento back when he was playing the guitar… That’s my easy way to go.” He recounted improvising a line during the NXT appearance, stating, “Yeah, I would boo too if I had to cheer for the Magic.” The comment drew ire from fans of the Orlando Magic. “And I was like, they’re booing me. I had to come up with something.”
Haliburton’s on-court demeanor, frequently enough described as expressive and sometimes confrontational, has contributed to his popularity with Pacers fans while simultaneously making him a target for opposing fanbases, particularly in cities like New York and Milwaukee.
(If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit What’s Your Story? with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.)
