After getting drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2022, Tyrese Haliburton earned an honorable nickname from legendary point guard Magic Johnson, who deemed him "Little Magic."
Those are some big shoes for the Wisconsin native to fill, but he has established himself as one of the best point guards in the NBA ever since the Indiana Pacers traded for him in 2022. He still has a long way to go before being placed in the same tier as someone like Johnson, but right now, this nickname is beginning to look like a fitting one.
In the second episode of the second season of Netflix' Starting 5 docuseries, Haliburton spoke about the nickname the Los Angeles Lakers legend gave him and what exactly that means to him and his father.
"When I was really young, my dad used to make me watch old basketball. His favorite player was Magic Johnson, so I'd always watch him and see, kind of, of course, the cool no-looks, and all this flash and the style, but I think, most importantly, just his smile, his love for the game, and I always wanted to have that be a part of my game," Haliburton said.
"When I got drafted, Magic had tweeted at me. That was crazy, because we had never spoke. We still have never spoke. But to get that co-sign, for him to know who I am and give me that name at, what was I, 20 years old, was crazy because I would not expect that at all. So, a really cool moment for me and my pops."
Magic? Like.. Magic Johnson!?!? I appreciate the love🙏🏽🐐 Hope to meet you in person soon and pick your brain! Much love!💜 https://t.co/VqJr3Xa983
— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) November 19, 2020
Tyrese Haliburton has a lot of Magic Johnson in his game
The Iowa State alum was solid during his one-and-a-half-year stint with the Sacramento Kings to begin his career, but he has developed into something special in Indiana.
A lot of his success with the Pacers is because of head coach Rick Carlisle, who knew exactly how to get the most out of him immediately. However, Haliburton was already destined for greatness even before he ended up in Indiana.
Haliburton always had the tools to be a great NBA player. He was a fantastic scorer in college (averaged 15.2 points per game on 50.4% shooting from the field and 41.9% from deep in 2019-20), and he was always a good passer. However, he has turned it up another level as a Pacer, particularly as a playmaker and passer.
During his three-and-a-half-season run in Indiana so far, Haliburton is averaging 10.1 assists across 224 games to just 2.3 turnovers. Additionally, he led the league in assists per game in 2023-24 with 10.9 per game.
Johnson is considered one of the greatest point guards in NBA history because of his ability to dish out the ball, leading many to consider him the greatest passer the game of basketball has ever seen.
The Hall of Famer led the league in assists four separate times and is the all-time leader in assists per game (11.2). Johnson is one of the greatest players in league history for a reason, and it is no surprise that Haliburton took inspiration from him. There aren't many (if any) guards in the modern game who can do what he did, but if there is anybody close, it may be Haliburton.
At this point, the 24-year-old still has his whole career ahead of him, and there is no telling what his ceiling looks like. Can he surpass Johnson on the all-time list of legendary point guards? Probably not. But that doesn't mean he can't at least come close.
After all, Haliburton already got the co-sign from the man himself before he ever even suited up in an NBA game, and that may be all the confidence he needs from here on out.