Lakers star LeBron James recalls Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton calling him 'grandpa' with Team USA

Haliburton and James won gold together

December 9, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the basketball against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the first quarter of the in-season tournament championship at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton spent his summer with LeBron James on Team USA, and that time apparently featured many moments where Haliburton gave James a hard time for being older.

The Pacers star is just 24 years old while James turns 40 in December. They are far apart in age, yet both terrific basketball players right now. Both were All-Stars and All-NBA talents last season before overlapping with the red, white, and blue.

During Los Angeles Lakers media day, James shared on Spectrum Sportsnet that Haliburton made many comments about his age this summer. "Ant man (Anthony Edwards) for sure. Tyrese Haliburton, them boys was on me all summer. Calling me old head and grandpa and things of that nature," James shared through a smile. The star Lakers forward said his gray hairs were coming out while in Paris.

"The young guys on team Olympics man, they gave it to me," James continued. "It was all fun. It's great to be around young guys. They gave me the energy, I tried to give it back to them."

Haliburton, James and company won the gold medal, a big moment for Haliburton's career. The Pacers guard played the fewest minutes, and games, of any player on the team during the Olympics, but he still loved the experience and can take a lot from it into the NBA.

Micah Potter, who spent much of the summer with Team USA, recalled a moment where Haliburton's shot making outclassed James in a shooting drill during a United States practice. Once the Olympics were done, Haliburton shared pictures from his childhood of himself wearing James' Team USA jersey, and the Lakers star reacted to those photos.

"The game is in great hands," James said of Haliburton

Those two appear to have formed some sort of relationship during the Olympics, and now Haliburton will look to emulate some of the habits his idol has during the rest of his career.

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