Tyrese Haliburton reflects on interview with Barack Obama

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton had quite the offseason, which included winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

Haliburton concluded the offseason with a bang as well, when he interviewed former President Barack Obama for the first episode of “The Young Man & the Three” podcast.

Haliburton said that it was an honor to talk to former President Obama and that it was the second time that he has met him.

“Just an unbelievable guy,” Haliburton said. “A guy I looked up to my whole life, so to sit down with him is very special for me.”

Haliburton flew out to Washington D.C. on an off day last week.

“When they asked me to host the first one with the former President, I couldn’t say no to that,” he said.

Haliburton and Obama talked a lot of basketball, about the election, and using your platform the right way.

Haliburton said that he wasn’t nervous for the interview. He added that there’s nobody at this point that would make him nervous for a conversation, but if there was one, it would be former President Obama.

“It was really a lot of fun for me and a full circle moment for me because I was eight years old when he was elected president,” Haliburton said. “When you’re eight years old, you don’t really know a ton about politics, but you understand that that’s a black man in the most powerful position in the world. So, immediately from there I was just glued and just loved everything about President Obama.”

Haliburton also said that Obama made it easy on him since he is such a good speaker.

Haliburton and the Pacers tip-off their season at 7 p.m. against the Pistons on Wednesday.