Tyrese Haliburton Humbled Aspiring Defensive Player of the Year in Brutal Reality Check, Admits 22YO Star

So, how do you even define aura? In the NBA, you see it in the swagger. Take Stephen Curry’s “Night, Night” celebration, where he casually tucks opponents to bed after a clutch play. Then there’s Russell Westbrook’s “Rock the Baby,” rocking his arms like a lullaby after dominating a matchup. And of course, LeBron James’ “Silencer,” where one big shot is enough to quiet the entire arena. Over the years, plenty of players have fallen victim to these signature moves, and rookie Ausar Thompson was no exception. He got a taste of it when Tyrese Haliburton hit him with one of his own victory celebrations.

The 22-year-old aspiring DPOY, Ausar Thompson, joined the NBA in 2023, getting picked 5th overall by the Detroit Pistons. The 6-foot-6 guard spent two seasons with Overtime Elite in Atlanta before making the jump. Since then, he’s played two seasons with the Pistons, averaging 9.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists over 122 games. And when asked about his rookie experience, Thompson didn’t hesitate to share his “welcome to the NBA” moment that stood out the most.

On TheYoungManAndTheThree podcast, Ausar Thompson spilled the exact moment he knew he’d truly entered the NBA hardwood. He said, “I would say my welcome to the league moment was when we were playing Indiana. I don’t know what game it was, but first off let me say this first I went down the lane and I dunked on Myles Turner right. So we come back. Probably a couple plays later and Haliburton makes me fall and then hits a three and then he skipped down the court and that made me, man, what a moment.”

Thompson was talking about the November 2023 game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons, where Tyrese Haliburton found himself skipping down the court with pure joy. It was a consistent victory move for Haliburton; he had skipped after several threes in the Pacers’ 157-152 win over the Hawks, posting 37 points and 16 assists, and even earlier in a loss to the Raptors. That day, he was skipping again after getting rookie Ausar Thompson to fall on a crossover dribble and then draining a three-pointer right in the face of Thompson’s teammate trying to help on the closeout. By the end of the first half, Haliburton already had 10 points and eight assists, showing why his “skip” move has become so iconic.

Ausar’s twin brother, Amen, couldn’t stop laughing about the moment. He said, “The funniest thing. He was number one and two on SportsCenter. Number one him getting crossed, number two is him dunking on Myles Turner. So funny. He gotta be the first guy ever on like two different ends.”

Early in the first quarter of the NBA In-Season Tournament clash, Thompson got the ball beyond the 3-point line, spotted some space, and charged to the basket. Turner thought he had a chance to block it, getting right in Thompson’s face. But rookie Thompson? His strength and bounce were next-level, and before Turner knew it, Thompson rose up and threw down a two-handed slam over the 6-foot-11 Pacers big man like it was nothing.

And this isn’t even Haliburton’s only signature move. Just back in May, after the Pacers’ Game 2 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, he hit a game-winning three with 1.1 seconds left. Then, he grabbed his own missed free throw, stepped back beyond the arc, and drained another three to give Indiana a 120–119 lead. He celebrated in a wild, somewhat vulgar fashion—a move first brought to the NBA by Sam Cassell.

The league didn’t fine him, but yeah, he got a little warning. And who knows, while recovering in rehab, he might just come up with some brand-new moves to shake the league even more.

Tyrese Haliburton’s road to recovery

Rewind to June 22, when the Pacers’ Finals dreams came crashing down against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Early in the first quarter, Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles—a brutal blow for him and Indiana. He had already been dealing with calf issues but said he “never even thought about sitting out Game 7.” Surgery came the very next day, and while he’s officially ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season, his recovery has been moving steadily. He even has a rehab partner in Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who’s sidelined with a groin injury. Haliburton joked about rehabbing alongside her but stressed he’s focused on “small wins” right now.

Just two weeks ago, those small wins were on full display at his youth basketball camp in Indianapolis. Surrounded by 300-plus kids in “Tyrese Haliburton Camp” T-shirts, he walked around in his protective boot, taking photos, doing interviews, and soaking in the energy. “I’m walking in my boot, getting closer to walking full time in my shoe, so that’s exciting,” he said.

The rehab grind has its ups and downs, but that day, smiles came easy, laughter flowed, and being around young fans gave him a mental boost. “A lot of these kids come up saying, ‘I was at this game in the playoffs,’” Haliburton grinned. “I think just showing them I’m real, I’m here, hanging out with them — I love being around it.”

Fast forward to this past weekend, and Haliburton was back in action—sort of—cheering on Iowa State’s Cyclones as they defended the Cy-Hawk Trophy with a 16-13 win over Iowa. Fans noticed he ditched the walking boot, rocking a red “STATE” sweatshirt, a backwards Iowa State hat, and white-and-red shoes. Still, Haliburton isn’t taking any chances. He said his Achilles rehab is “coming along well” and that he’ll probably wear the boot around Ames or in crowded places “just for safety.”

Step by step, he’s back and keeping it smart while doing it.