LA Lakers star LeBron James reacts to photos of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton wearing his jersey as a kid

James and Haliburton just won a gold medal together

Mar 24, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrese Haliburton's favorite player was LeBron James, and he isn't afraid to admit it. Just before the Indiana Pacers took on the Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament Finals last season, the Pacers star shared his feelings on James.

"Like any kid born in 2000, LeBron was my favorite player growing up." Haliburton said. "Growing up, I was a Cavs fan, then a Heat fan, then a Cavs fan, and then a Lakers fan before I got drafted."

Most players lose those emotions somewhat when they reach the NBA. Their idols become their opposition. But Haliburton still relishes the chance to share the floor with LA's star and the league's all-time leading scorer.

"That's the great part about being in the NBA is getting to compete against your idols on a nightly basis," he said.

This summer, they weren't competitors for a brief moment. Instead, they were teammates. James and Haliburton were both members of Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and they won a gold medal together this past weekend.

"The game is in great hands," James said of Haliburton. "For me, Steph (Curry) , KD [Kevin Durant], AD [Anthony Davis], for us to be on a team with (Anthony) [Edwards] and Tyrese is just super cool that we can not only show by example, but also just be around them. They have their thing going as well, so we don't step on their toes or anything of that nature."

On Tuesday, Haliburton took to Twitter to share photos of his fandom. He posted two pictures of himself as a kid wearing James' jersey — one Team USA uniform and one high school kit. The third photo Haliburton posted was of he and James together after winning their Olympic gold medals.

my mom sent me these pics this morning, life crazy lol pic.twitter.com/nYJMM3PdKb

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 13, 2024

James responded to Haliburton's pictures. "Haha! Crazy bro!!! WOW!!" he said in his own Twitter post.

Haliburton posted a similar tweet about Kevin Durant, and it also had a photo of the Pacers star wearing Durant's Team USA jersey when he was younger. The All-NBA guard has loved the game and its stars for years.

For about a month and a half in 2024, he was their teammate. He will never forget it.

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• Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Team USA take down France for a gold medal. CLICK HERE.
• Pascal Siakam focusing on little details this offseason, agent says he's headed for a 'big year' with Pacer. CLICK HERE.
• Forward Enrique Freeman agrees to a two-way deal with Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• Andrew Nembhard leaves 2024 Olympics ready for takeoff with Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
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