Tyrese Haliburton never intended to damage his relationship with Damian Lillard. Yet one celebration appears to have changed the dynamic. Almost three years later, the Indiana Pacers star is opening up about the incident, taking responsibility for his actions.
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The moment came in during the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals, when Indiana faced Lillard, who was with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pacers were leading 122-114 late in the game when Haliburton hit a step-back three-pointer and looked at his wrist, mimicking the “Dame Time” celebration. Now, looking back, Hali acknowledges that it had consequences beyond the court.
“Do I regret it? No, because it was obviously a lot of fun for our organization, and the run we went on in the in-season tournament was a lot of fun,” Haliburton told The Zach Lowe Show. “It just added to it, so it was fun. I think what I do regret more than anything is what me and Dame’s relationship has become. Because he was a guy who checked on me a lot, early in my career, especially when I got traded. We talked a lot, and I got his permission to be announced as the letter O, because that’s his thing.
“I would love to have a conversation, because I just think it became more than it ever needed to be. A miscommunication. Put it on me. I was young. In the moment, I was having fun with it, but it was probably a little much, and whatever happened from there happened. But he’s a guy who I have looked up to the majority of my life. Part of the reason I wear (jersey number) 0 is Damian Lillard. So obviously, we both went to the Achilles thing. He’s a guy I would love to at least be more cordial with again, because obviously, there’s a lot of stuff going on the playoffs, but it’s love, for sure.”
Tyrese Haliburton also revealed that he came close to seeing Lillard earlier this year, but his health got in the way. While recovering from shingles, he stepped away from his bench duties for a few weeks after the All-Star break.
That also kept him from joining the Pacers on their March 8 trip to Portland, where he could have caught up with the Blazers veteran. There is another interesting detail to their dynamic.
Damian Lillard didn’t publicly express major anger immediately after the 2023 semifinal. At the time, he accepted the celebration as part of the competition. However, Tyrese Haliburton’s recent reflections suggest that their personal relationship did not change. And that’s why the tensions carried over in the 2025 playoffs.
After the 2024 playoffs, Indiana met Milwaukee once again, this time for a heated five-game series.
Lillard was sidelined with a blood clot issue and did not play in Game 1, but that didn’t stop him from getting into a heated exchange with Haliburton from the sidelines. “What you gonna do,”… We suck? We’re gonna see about that.” He later added, “You’re gonna see and I’ll beat your a–.”
Tyrese Haliburton didn’t respond to Lillard directly. Instead, he turned to teammate Pascal Siakam and said, “It’s time to get them the f— outta here, bro.” The exchange added another layer to the growing tension between the two. But the Pacers star was ready to put that aside when Dame suffered a devastating, completely torn left Achilles injury in Game 4.
Speaking to the press after the game, Haliburton first spoke positively about Lillard. “Before y’all ask any questions, I want to send my thoughts and prayers to Dame. What you see between us is competing, and you hate to see that happen, especially to a guy who’s went through a lot, and he’s given it his all to come out here and play after a scary health issue. So it’s well-documented, the love I had for that guy. And so I hate to see that happen to anybody, and I wish him the best moving forward.”
Unfortunately, during the same playoff run, even Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After spending the entirety of the last season on the sidelines, both guards will be back on the hardwood.
When the Blazers come to Gainbridge, on December 17th, Tyrese Haliburton has made it clear that he wants the apparent beef to end.