Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t know exactly why, but he’s quickly become the unofficial DJ for the Indiana Pacers. Actually, once he’s thought about it a little bit more, it’s most likely from the immense influence of those closest to him. Particularly his family.
Haliburton’s music education began in the passenger seat of his dad’s (John) car. Growing up, friends and family would make CDs for John filled with his favorite hits, like Akon’s “Locked Up,” which Haliburton can recite word for word. “The first song and the last song were always the same, so if he had a song that was his song at the time, he would play it 24/7,” Tyrese tells SLAM. “I listened to a lot of old school music, and I think the love for that comes from being in the car with my dad growing up.”
When he was 8, surrounded by the influence of his older brother and his friends, Haliburton was put onto Drake and J. Cole, both of whom were in the midst of their early mixtape days. Well before the Grammy award-winning artists reached their prime and stood at the pinnacle of the rap game, Haliburton was bopping his head to their earliest hits.
For first-time All-Star, SLAM cover star and music guru Tyrese Haliburton, he’s officially stamped the NBA with a new pace of play, relative to the groundbreaking release of Drake’s 2011 Take Care. But sitting inside of a vehicle with the music blasting hasn’t been the young point guard’s primary listening experience as of late, instead opting for the recently released Bose Ultra Open Earbuds.
Jared ebanks 