'Petty' Pacer Tyrese Haliburton Hasn't Forgotten Knicks Fans

Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton hasn't forgotten how close he was to becoming a New York Knick.

If Obi Toppin isn't interested in reigniting one of the NBA's most bitter rivalries, Tyrese Haliburton appears more than happy to do it for him.

Haliburton might be trying to light a match on the dormant rivalry between the New York Knicks and his Indiana Pacer employers, as he claims his Twitter bookmarks are filled with the posts of metropolitan supporters. Appearing on Paul George's "Podcast P," Haliburton briefly discussed his NBA arrival in 2020 when the Sacramento Kings officially offered him a professional invite with the 12th overall choice ... four picks after the Knicks were on the clock.

At the time, it was a turn of events that Knicks fans were more than comfortable with: they took Toppin at eighth overall and had high hopes for the Dayton alum. Haliburton told George that those enthusiasts were more than happy to pack his mentions with such reminders. 

“I’m honestly like a really petty person,” Haliburton told the Los Angeles Clippers star. “If I go through my bookmarks right now on Twitter, once I get to 2020, it’s going to be nothing but people talking about the way I shoot, Knicks fans saying they shouldn’t draft me, and all this stuff.”

By now, Knicks fans need little reminder of the Toppin era, which ironically ended with him uniting with Haliburton in Indianapolis in a trade for two second-round picks. Whereas Toppin struggled to earn consistent minutes in Manhattan (average only 14.7 in three seasons), Haliburton was later moved to the Pacers during his secoond season. Indiana enjoyed a breakout for Haliburton, who averaged a double-double to the tune of 20.7 points and 10.4 assists en route to his first All-Star Game appearance.

Haliburton is no stranger to verbal wars of attrition with those involved with the Knicks: that aforementioned All-Star appearance was marked by an indirect confrontation with MSG Network analyst Wally Szczerbiak, who referred to him as "Mr. Supposed, Wannabe, Fake All-Star" after a 5-of-16 outing during a Knicks win in Indianapolis in December. 

While the Knicks have established themselves a solid core headlined by Jalen Brunson, missing out on Haliburton in favor of Toppin likely stands as one of the most unfortunate happenings in recent metropolitan memory. Time will if Indiana's collaboration between the two top 12 picks helps spell the Knicks' doom. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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