You probably won’t find a player on the New Orleans Saints’ roster more tuned in to this year's NBA Finals than tight end Michael Jacobson.
Jacobson doesn’t have a favorite NBA team, but he will have one for as long as this series goes.
He'll be a die-hard Indiana Pacers' fan.
Just five years ago, Jacobson and Pacers' guard Tyrese Haliburton were starters on the Iowa State University basketball team.
“It’s crazy to think I was playing with that guy in college and now he’s playing in the NBA Finals,” Jacobson said. “It’s awesome to see just how much success he’s had.”
Jacobson transferred to Iowa State after playing his first two seasons at Nebraska. He had to sit out his first season at Iowa State due to the NCAA transfer rules at the time. The following season is when Haliburton arrived in Ames, Iowa as a freshman.
“When Tyrese got there, he was a long, gangly kinda goofy kid who hadn’t really grown into his body yet,” Jacobson said. “He got there as an unheralded recruit and nobody really knew who he was. Two years later, he was a lottery pick.”
It didn’t take long for Haliburton to show he belonged. Jacobson remembers a particular practice when Haliburton crossed over a defender and drove to the basket for a dunk.
“Everybody freaked out at that practice and we were all like ‘Ok, Tyrese has some game,’” Jacobson said.
Jacobson averaged 11.1 points and 5.9 rebound the first year they played together. Haliburton averaged 6.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds that year.
That team made the NCAA Tournament, but got upset in the first round by Ohio State. It was a disappointing ending for a star-studded Cyclones' team. Three other starters on that team made it to the NBA.
Talen Horton-Tucker, a second-round draft pick in 2019, currently plays with the Chicago Bulls.
Marial Shavok was a second round draft pick and played briefly with the Philadelphia 76ers. Lindell Wigginton wasn’t drafted, but played three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
But the biggest star on the team ended up being Haliburton, who made a giant leap from his freshman season to his sophomore year. Haliburton more than doubled his scoring productivity, averaging 15.2 points as a sophomore.
“He played with tons of energy and was a great team defender who got a lot of tips and steals,” Jacobson said. “You always saw the passing and the 3-point shooting ability and the ability to run an offense that you see now.”
That skillset has made Haliburton one of the NBA’s brightest young stars. He’s made third team All-NBA twice and been selected to two All-Star games. Despite his success, his NBA peers voted him the league’s most overrated player this season. That dubious distinction apparently motivated Haliburton, who kicked his game up a notch since then. His elevation in play is why the Pacers - the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference - were able to knock off the Milwaukee Bucks, the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks on their way to the Finals.
“Obviously that motivated him,” Jacobson said. “Any time you have your peers say that about you, it probably has that effect. Nobody can really say he’s overrated now though.”
Jacobson hasn’t missed any of these playoffs. He watched Haliburton’s game-winning lay-up in the first round against the Bucks. He saw the game-winning 3-pointer in the second round against the Eastern Conference favorite Cavaliers. And he saw the clutch basket in Game One against the Knicks. Haliburton celebrated that shot with a choke sign gesture, a tribute to the same gesture former Pacer great Reggie Miller did against the Knicks back in 1994.
“He’s always had the knack for the theatrics,” Jacobson said.
Jacobson and Haliburton played their final game together on Feb. 8, 2020. Haliburton fractured his wrist in that game and was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Iowa State’s season ended a month later with a loss to Oklahoma State in the Big XII Tournament. Then Covid hit.
Haliburton began preparing for the NBA draft, while Jacobson ended up playing pro basketball overseas in Ukraine. It was in Ukraine that Jacobson started letting go of those hoop dreams and turning his attention to NFL possibilities. After basketball games, he would often stay up until 4 a.m. in his Ukraine apartment watching NFL games.
Jacobson hadn’t played football since high school, but he decided to give it a shot. After a workout, he landed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks. He spent the past two seasons on the Saints’ practice squad. He’s back for what he hopes is a third season. As he gets ready for mandatory mini-camp next week, he’ll also make sure to make time to see his college teammate in the NBA Finals trying to upset the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I’ve been watching the playoffs religiously,” Jacobson said. “I’ll be rooting for the Pacers for sure.”