During the past postseason, fans have started calling Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton the “Haliban,” and he has broken his silence on the matter.
While being interviewed by Logan Paul on Impaulsive, Haliburton was asked about the nickname by his co-host, Mike Majlak. Haliburton called it an “unfortunate” situation.
Tyrese Haliburton reacts to “Haliban” nickname 😭💣 pic.twitter.com/hpCyXtMM7c
— IMPAULSIVE (@impaulsive) August 26, 2025
“It's unfortunate,” Haliburton said while laughing. “Obviously, the Taliban is a terrible group of people, and it's unfortunate that that, on social media, has become the thing. Obviously, I could never publicly acknowledge it or respond [to it]. People will come in my Twitch chat and just spam that.”
Paul then asked Haliburton to clarify the meaning of the nickname. “They call you the ‘Haliban' because you're a terrorist on the court?” Paul asked.
Haliburton stammered, trying to find the right response. Paul threw in that some WNBA fans call Caitlin Clark “Al-Cata,” a play on Al-Qaeda. “Yeah, but we were in New York,” Haliburton explained.
Why do fans call Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton the ‘Haliban'?
The origin of the nickname is uncertain. Majlak quipped that it was because he was “dropping bombs” on the court while in New York, causing Paul to sit in silence.
It helps that Haliburton became a household name during the 2024-25 postseason. He helped the Pacers secure clutch wins over the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks.
Haliburton and the Pacers made it to the NBA Finals. However, they lost in seven games to the Thunder. During Game 7, Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles injury, which will cause him to miss the 2025-26 season.
Still, Haliburton should be ready to go when the 2026-27 season rolls around. He is set up to continue taking the league by storm upon his return.
He was drafted with the 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Haliburton spent most of the first three years of his career with the Sacramento Kings.
During the 2021-22 season, Haliburton was traded to the Pacers. During his first full season with the Pacers, Haliburton played in 56 games, averaging 20.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game.
