Inside the NBA Rookie Transition Program in an Unprecedented Year

Adjusting to the NBA is always daunting for rookies. The transition is all the more challenging in 2020.

On the night of Nov. 18, shooting guard Tyrese Haliburton waited anxiously from his parents’ home in Oshkosh, Wis., to find out where he would begin his professional career. Donning a light blue suit covered in vibrant pink flowers, Haliburton watched as he slid in that night’s NBA draft before eventually being selected No. 12 overall by the Sacramento Kings. “An amazing night,” Haliburton said on the ESPN broadcast. “Sacramento is the perfect spot for me.”

The Iowa State product was quickly whisked into media opportunities with his new team. And in the coming days, he started working with Sacramento’s team realtor to find a house for himself, his brother Tanner and his girlfriend Jade. As he packed up his belongings, he weighed how many pairs of sneakers he would bring to California and he got rid of old clothes, including some remnants from his high school days. He also had to act in accordance with the league’s COVID-19 protocols.

Haliburton arrived in Sacramento on Friday, Nov. 27, and started his first professional training camp just days later. For Haliburton and the rest of this year’s rookies, it all amounted to a frenzied two-week stretch in the lead-up to this year’s NBA season.

“Things are all moving parts right now, but you just gotta kinda go on the fly and that’s all us rookies have been used to the whole time,” Haliburton says. “We’ve been going on the fly since March. It’s just kinda a part of it.”

Amid the unusual circumstance created by COVID-19, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association offered a new way for rookies across the league to approach the adjustment. Since 1986, the two parties have hosted a formal rookie transition program, which in recent years has consisted of a four-day, in-person orientation normally held at the end of the summer. This year, however, each rookie joined from their respective market for a virtual program consisting over parts of two days.

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns welcomed the group’s participants—which totaled just over 100 people, including drafted, undrafted and two-way players—by sharing his personal experiences with COVID-19 and discussing the struggles of his transition to the professional ranks. Dwyane Wade opined on how players could make an impact off the court, whether that be in business ventures or in their respective communities. Mental health and wellness was another noteworthy session. Veterans Tobias Harris, Thaddeus Young, Danilo Gallinari and Pat Connaughton also led a session discussing financial literacy.

“The responsiveness of this rookie class confirmed that there’s nothing really more impactful that can happen than when these guys have the chance to hear from guys who have been in their shoes,” says Jamila Wideman, the NBA’s vice president of player development.

Despite the programming being virtual, creating a community among the rookies themselves was also a point of emphasis. Wideman notes that despite this year’s class dealing with a host of uncertainty, recent programming around the modified draft combine and virtual draft allowed for the transition process to start prior to officially entering the league and mitigated “bullet-train training.” Additional transition sessions will also continue throughout the season.

Kings veterans Harrison Barnes and Cory Joseph have emerged as early influences for Haliburton. The first-year guard adds that staying in touch with other rookies has been another key aspect of his transition process, noting that Mavericks first-round pick Josh Green has become a particularly good sounding board as the two begin their debut seasons.

“I think the program is very much designed to get players involved in the process themselves and to drive the process themselves,” explains Wideman.

Sacramento’s promising rookie has used the last few months to learn more of what he likes to do outside of basketball. A self-described “homebody,” Haliburton says he enjoys playing board games with his brother and girlfriend—Uno is a family favorite. He's also a heavy gamer, recently telling reporters that playing NBA 2K has helped him learn more about his teammates.

Last Friday, just three and a half weeks removed from hearing his named called 12th overall, the 20-year-old guard suited up for his first preseason game. He played 20 minutes in his debut, scoring five points and hauling in three rebounds.

“It just proved to myself that I belong,” he says. “I just was feeling things out and getting a feel for everybody. But it just showed that I belong. And I’m just ready to improve on a day-to-day basis.

Opportunities for improvement will come fast this season for Haliburton and his fellow draft class members.

“It is nuts,” he says, reflecting on the whirlwind of the last few weeks. “Man, life is moving so fast.”