NBA Star Tyrese Haliburton Shuts Down Claims He Only Hangs With White People

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton vehemently denied accusations that he only wants to hang out with white people.

At last, Haliburton has officially broken his silence regarding the persistent social media narrative about his personal life and the racial demographics of his social circle. During a candid appearance on the 'It Is What It Is' podcast, hosted by rappers Cam'ron and Mase, the two-time NBA All-Star addressed long-standing criticism from those who have accused him of distancing himself from the Black community.

Hali Grew Up in a White Community

Haliburton, who was born and raised in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, noted that his upbringing played a significant role in his social development. According to U.S. Census data, Oshkosh has a white population of roughly 85%, a factor Hali cited when explaining his lifelong friendships.

Haliburton pointed out that his fiancée, Jade Jones, is white and he grew up with mostly white people in his hometown. The 2024 NBA assists champion also mentioned that this explains why he was spotted pulling up to a post-Paris Olympics party with several white women, one of them being his fiancée.

'That don't bother me 'cause you gotta think like, my fiancée, she's a white girl,' the Pacers point guard explained. 'You know what I mean. I'm from Wisconsin, and I grew up around all white people. My girl is from Iowa. She grew up around all white people. You know what I mean.

'So, that video where you see me hop on a car with a bunch of white girls, it's like her sister and all her friends from growing up,' he added. 'So, people killing me, I'm like, these are just our people from growing up, you know.'

Haliburton Has Bigger Issues to Deal With

Truth be told, Haliburton has a lot of more important things to deal with at the moment. He was forced to miss the entire 2025-26 season due to an Achilles injury and is still recovering.

Moreover, Hali revealed during a media scrum in the Pacers' season-ender that he had caught shingles, which was the main reason for his evident weight gain. Apart from that, Haliburton also detailed how difficult it was to endure the pain and discomfort the virus had caused.

'I couldn't even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early because my eye was basically closed shut and it was all over my face,' Haliburton revealed. 'And then I wasn't itchy for the first, like, two weeks. I just had a bad rash. Then once the rash went away the itching came and it's been miserable, hence why every time you see me I've been in glasses, just to not touch my face really, that's really the only reason I've been wearing them.

'I've lost like part of my eyebrow, my eye is always like swollen from itching. I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it's bad days,' he continued.

As it stands, Haliburton is expected by the Pacers to make his much-awaited NBA return at the start of the 2026-27 season. For now, Hali can focus on his recovery and possibly addressing some issues about himself during interviews.