What getting to play LeBron James for the In-Season Tournament title means to Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton

LAS VEGAS (WISH) — The Indiana Pacers are getting ready to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Game.

Tip-off is set for 8:40 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

The winner will be able to hoist up the first-ever NBA Cup trophy.

The Pacers though know how much of a challenge the Lakers and LeBron James pose.

“LeBron James is in his prime still,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “I’m watching the guy last night (Thursday), and it’s phenomenal. This is a guy — someone just gave me the stat. He’s the only player in NBA history who has been the youngest player in the league and the oldest player in the league, both. That speaks to obviously an amazing run of longevity and, in his case, greatness. He’s the all-time leading scorer, and if there’s a Mount Rushmore, he’s one of the guys on the NBA Mount Rushmore. That’s what we’re up against tomorrow. We’re up against him and Anthony Davis and a lot of other very good players that are on a real uptick right now competitively.”

James currently leads the Lakers in scoring, averaging 25 points per game. He is also second on the team in rebounds, averaging 7.5 rebounds per game.

“Like any kid born in 2000, LeBron was my favorite player growing up, and it’s hard for him not to be for a lot of us,” Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “Growing up, I was a Cavs fan, then a Heat fan, then a Cavs fan again, then a Lakers fan before I got drafted. It’s just how it went. To be able to compete against him in a championship is kind of like a storybook a little bit, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. But that’s the great part about being in the NBA is getting to compete against your idols on a nightly basis. I really
look forward to that.”

This will be the first meeting between the Lakers and Pacers this season.