It's been almost a year since we last saw Tyrese Haliburton , the star guard of the Indiana Pacers , in NBA action. It can be recalled that Haliburton ruptured his Achilles tendon early in Indiana's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Finals while playing through a strained calf, and missed the entire 2025–26 season rehabbing.
As he kept preparing for a major comeback, Tyrese was often present in media appearances on social media, especially in the podcast world. However, besides topics related to his basketball journey and eventual return, Haliburton touched on something that has been circulating online for a while now — the fact that he is often seen hanging out with white people, especially women.
"That don't bother me. Because, my fiancée, she is a white girl, you know what I mean. I am from Wisconsin, I grew up around all white people…" Haliburton said in his recent appearance on "Come And Talk 2 Me" podcast.
It all started with a viral video of Haliburton arriving at a party after winning an Olympic gold medal. It wasn't the arrival itself, but who he arrived with. As the car he stepped out of also had five white girls coming out with him, it sparked jokes online about his "preferences." Trying to be as respectful as possible, Haliburton explained that it was actually his fiancée, her sister and their friends from growing up.
On top of that, the star guard also said that a lot of it comes from growing up in Wisconsin, where he was surroundedmostly by white people, which later shaped the circle he keeps today.
"So that video where you see me hop out of the car with a bunch of white girls, it's her sister and all her friends from growing up. People are killing me, but these are just our people from growing up," the Pacers floor general explained.
And while he cleared up that situation, there was also a 2024 video of Haliburton sending 50 Cent a message congratulating him on his Las Vegas residency, making rounds online, which only added more fuel to the jokes at the time.
For Tyrese, it was all fun and games, as he didn't take the jokes to heart. In fact, it seems his heart belongs to one person, his longtime girlfriend and now fiancée, Jade Jones. The couple has been together since 2019, and they announced their engagement in July 2025 after a proposal at Iowa State University, where they first met, which also aligns with his story about growing up and the people around him.
Apart from everything off the court, Haliburton is focused on getting back to his professional career. His recovery hasn't been easy, as aside from the Achilles injury, he also dealt with shingles during rehab. Combined with weight gain from medication, it has been a challenging period, but fans are eager to see him back at full strength.
Before the injury, Haliburton was one of the most exciting players to watch in the league, on the verge of making history with the Pacers. And while the internet might keep joking about who he hangs out with, Tyrese has his goals straight.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
