Who is Tyrese Haliburton, Oshkosh native and star of the Pacers team that faces Bucks in first round?

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been about denim overalls, the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual AirVenture, lakes and specialty truck manufacturing. And now, Tyrese Haliburton.

The Indiana Pacers star grew up just shy of 90 miles to the north of Milwaukee, where his team will meet the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs April 21. He's only 24 years old and has a chance to be the best NBA player the state has ever produced, though this will be his first chance to play in the postseason.

Here's what to know about Haliburton and his ties to Wisconsin:

Where did Tyrese Haliburton go to high school?

Haliburton attended Oshkosh North, where he led the Spartans to the 2018 state championship. He scored 30 points in the final against Brookfield East, making all 18 of his free throws, as North finished the year 26-1 with a 61-44 triumph.

In one conference game against powerful Kaukauna that season, Haliburton scored 42 points. Kaukauna went on to win the Division 2 state title.

His running mate at North, Quincy Anderson, just finished his second year at Murray State after starting his college career at Minnesota State-Mankato. Anderson worked his way into a starting role this year and finished the season as the Racers' leading scorer at 12.6 points per game.

Tyrese Haliburton was in the same class as Miami Heat standout Tyler Herro

Haliburton was a senior the same year as Miami Heat star Tyler Herro, who played at Whitnall High School in Greenfield, spent one year at the University of Kentucky and then went pro.

Oddly enough, neither was named Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball. That honor went to Jordan McCabe of Kaukauna, who played college basketball at West Virginia and UNLV.

Where did Tyrese Haliburton go to college?

Haliburton was acknowledged as a Division I talent but was given only three stars by popular recruiting services and went largely under-recruited. He committed to Iowa State.

As a freshman in the 2018-19 season, he set the school's single-game assists record (17) and started nearly every game, but he really took off as a sophomore, where he became second-team All-Big 12 and rose to a level where he was able to forgo his final two years of eligibility and declare for the NBA Draft. In between his two seasons with the Cyclones, he played for the Team USA U19 World Cup team that won a gold medal. He led his team in assists in every game he played.

Haliburton, who left Iowa State in 2020, was not on the Cyclones team that defeated Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee in 2022; that team featured another Wisconsinite that the Badgers didn't offer, Tyrese Hunter of Racine St. Catherine's (now at Texas).

Why didn't Tyrese Haliburton attend the University of Wisconsin?

Iowa State proved to be a perfect fit for Haliburton, but Badgers fans feel like things could have gone differently had Herro not decommitted from Wisconsin late in the process and flipped to Kentucky. With a limited volume of available scholarships, Wisconsin had stopped pursuing Haliburton, believing it had Herro and trying to woo another top state prospect — Stevens Point's Joey Hauser, who wound up going to Marquette instead.

Haliburton chose Iowa State over offers from Nebraska, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Northern Iowa and others.

Does Tyrese Haliburton have a chance to be the best Wisconsin high-school player in the NBA ever?

He does.

When Haliburton made the all-star game last year, he became the first Wisconsinite to earn that distinction since Wauwatosa East's Devin Harris in 2009. Caron Butler of Racine Park made the all-star game in 2007 and 2008, the last time a Wisconsinite has made multiple all-star games before Haliburton was again named to the team in 2024, and selected as a starter.

Only one Wisconsin player, Latrell Sprewell, has made more than two — he's made four. Sprewell was also the last player before Haliburton to start an all-star game from Wisconsin when he did so in 1995.

There's obviously a long way to go. Harris, for example, played 15 seasons, and it remains to be seen if Haliburton can match that level of longevity.

Where was Tyrese Haliburton drafted and why didn't he stay with the Sacramento Kings?

Haliburton was selected with the 12th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, taken by the Sacramento Kings, where he spent his rookie season and most of his second season. He was named first-team All-Rookie in 2020-21.

But he was traded along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson to the Pacers in exchange for Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, Domantas Sabonis and some draft considerations in February 2022. Sabonis was an all-star for the Kings last year and made the all-NBA third team, so both teams seem to have gotten something out of the exchange.

This past summer, Haliburton signed a five-year max contract worth up to $260 million with the Pacers, kicking in during the 2024-25 season.

Tyrese Haliburton brought out a 'Dame Time' celebration earlier this year in a win over the Bucks

Haliburton was an all-star last year, but he may have had his true NBA breakout moment during the In-Season Tournament, when he led Indiana to the final of the inaugural event. That included a win over the Bucks in Las Vegas in the semifinals, when he playfully stole Damian Lillard's "Dame Time" celebration after a huge late shot.

Everyone seemed good-natured about the moment, but perhaps it fueled a little of what came next, when a dispute over handshakes (and, eventually, a disappearing game ball) became the chief story line of a game between the two teams a week later.

How tall is Tyrese Haliburton and what is his wingspan?

Haliburton stands 6-foot-5 and had a wingspan of 6-foot-8 during the NBA Draft process.

What is Tyrese Haliburton's career high in scoring?

Haliburton scored 44 points on Nov. 30 of this year against Miami, though the Pacers lost the game. That eclipsed the 43 points he scored in a loss to Charlotte on Nov. 4 and also on Dec. 23, 2022. He finished the 2023-24 season with 44 double-doubles.

Who are Tyrese Haliburton's parents and girlfriend?

Haliburton's parents, Brenda and John, are often spotted on the sidelines at Pacers games.

"First I want to thank God, but these two right here, they’re my rocks," Haliburton told ESPN while hugging his parents during the virtual NBA Draft of 2020. “I love these guys to death. I’m just glad I got to experience this with them.”

Haliburton met his girlfriend, Jade Jones, when they were students at Iowa State.

An earlier version of this story published Dec. 8, 2023.