Tyrese Haliburton is about as well-rounded of a basketball prospect as you’ll find. He can dribble, pass, play defense and the moment he steps behind a microphone, no topics are off limits.
Following practice Tuesday, the rookie was asked about everything from vaccines to his choice to wear short shots. Mixed in the middle was a discussion on Wednesday’s Presidential inauguration.
“It’s good to have [Donald] Trump out of office, but at the same time, there’s other things to be done,” Haliburton said. “Just because he’s out of office, doesn’t mean that everything that’s been going on at the Capitol and those hate groups are just going to disappear. They’re still here.”
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Not one to shy away from speaking his mind, Haliburton said he is excited to see Joe Biden take office, but there is a lot of work to do to move the country forward.
“I still think that we have to stay on top of him to ask for what we need as a country and not be complacent by any means,” Haliburton said.
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He’s also very excited about Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and what her swearing in means for both women and people of color.
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"It's historic, there's not only a woman coming in to be the Vice President, but an African-American woman,” Haliburton said. “I think that's really exciting."
Just eight years old when President Barack Obama became the first Black President of the United States, Haliburton understands the type of impact a groundbreaking moment like this can have on the youth of America and abroad.
"I hope that there are little girls and little kids out there who see Vice President Harris come into office and that gives them hope and gives them the power to know they can do anything in the world,” Haliburton added. “It's going to be an exciting time. There's still a lot to be done."
Haliburton is the talk of the NBA as one of the best rookies in the league, but he’s also someone who is willing to put his opinions out in the open. There’s something refreshing about his approach, whether you agree with his politics or not.