Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shared that his plea for LeBron James to join his team in free agency was met with a humorous, albeit dismissive, response. Haliburton recounted the interaction on ESPN's 'The Pat McAfee Show,' detailing how he texted James prior to their joint appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York City.
"I texted him before Fanatics Fest, and I said, 'Hey, you should come be a Pacer,'" Haliburton revealed. James' reply consisted of six crying-laughing emojis. "I thought it was two, I said during our interview that it was two, then I went back and looked at the text. It was six. ... Yeah, it hurt."
The exchange occurred shortly before James and Haliburton recorded a live episode of the "Mind The Game" podcast at the sports convention. During the public appearance, the topic of James' next team was a point of interest for the audience, who called for him to "pick a team." James, however, remained noncommittal, stating, "It's going to be fun wherever I land."
Addressing an 11-year-old questioner about his free agency and team development, James emphasized the significance of the decision. "It's a big decision for not only myself, but for my family as well," he said. "Just for the last part of my career and where I want to spend the last few years or the last year or the last two years of my NBA career."
James also spoke about his commitment to any future team, stating, "I'm going to try to fit into whatever team I'm going into, but also give them all the tools and give them all the knowledge that I've been able to grasp over the last 23 years. I know the game. I know the ins and outs of the game of basketball."
While James referenced teams he has been linked to, including Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and Golden State, he offered no clear indication of his preferred destination. His conversation with Haliburton, however, clearly demonstrated that the Indiana Pacers were not his immediate consideration, at least not in the way Haliburton had hoped.
