Haliburton’s barber cleans him up and we head upstairs to tour the house, which Haliburton and his girlfriend Jade Jones just remodeled. First stop: the closet. This is no ordinary closet, though; to get in you must enter a security code on a keypad next to the door. Olivier Rogers, the stylist Haliburton has been working with since 2022, punches in the digits and we hear the door unlock with a click. Inside is exactly what you’d expect from one of the most stylish athletes on the planet: over 300 glorious square feet of shoes, bags, assorted accessories, and racks and racks of clothes. Vintage, new, runway — everything you can imagine from brands like The Row, Prada, COMME des GARÇONS, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, on and on. Not merely the most obvious, hyped-up pieces but an eclectic collection of clothes that reflect Haliburton’s personal style.

Haliburton isn’t stacking logos for the sake of it. His approach to fashion is refreshingly grounded, rooted in an appreciation for clothes that feel good on, move well, and speak without shouting. Haliburton’s style is thoughtful, not precious, the kind of guy who’ll wear Bottega boots to the game and beat-up PUMA slides to brunch the next day, just because that’s what he feels like wearing. For him, style isn’t performative — it’s performance, in an athletic sense. As we start looking around, he starts talking about rocking the same Goyard wallet that he’s had even before getting drafted.

How have you been preparing mentally for the playoffs? What’s the routine?

Every day I'm up before my girl, so I got to take my dog out. And then I eat my breakfast and get to the gym. On my off days, I'm not really on social media during the playoffs. For me, it's about getting on the game, just getting away. That's my time to really connect with my boys back home or maybe my brother. We play some Call of Duty, play some WWE or something and I just decompress. Video games have always been my escape.

What’s the off-duty wardrobe like?

It depends on the day. Usually it's just some baggy, comfy sweats, baggy hoodie. Just something to chill in. I keep my house pretty cold because I like sleeping in cold temperatures, having to cover up and layer up. So I always got sweats and hoodie on. Just be kicking it.

What's on the TV when you're chilling?

I just finished The Wire. That show was fire. Greatest show I've ever seen in my life. And I think during the playoffs, I'm either going to start Breaking Bad or Severance. I haven't decided which one. And then during the nighttime when the games are on, I'm always watching NBA basketball.

What’s a guilty pleasure you indulge in when you’re home?

Great question. I love sweets. I love ice cream. So I'll go to Dairy Queen, go get a Blizzard or something. I'll go to Culver's and get a Concrete Mixer. Go to Chick-fil-A and get a milkshake. It really doesn't matter. I'm just going to get ice cream somewhere. I do that pretty often, probably more than I should, but I like to reward myself after a hard day's work.

What's your Culver’s Concrete Mixer order?

Typically chocolate ice cream, cookie dough, and Reese's peanut butter cup. And then if I can throw in some malt powder, I'll typically do that. For those who know, you know.

Have you started planning your ‘fits for the playoffs? What's the vibe for your second playoff run?

Yeah, I definitely started pulling looks. During the course of the season, I buy pieces and there's some pieces that I get, I’m just like, we got to save that for the playoffs. I'm excited about the playoffs, you know, because more games are on national TV. You get to watch more games. There's more eyes on you now, so that's when you really can put on your best looks. So I definitely got a lot of different things. Got some more suits. I feel like I wear more suits, more clean looks in the playoffs and more of my statement pieces come out.

You started the regular season with a gold medal from the Summer Olympics. What was that experience like?

It was a great experience for me to be around other greats, see how they work every day, and get to create friendships that I'm really thankful for. We all still communicate, still text, talk shit. It's all part of it. And ultimately winning with those guys is a bond that I'll never forget.

You've had a few record-breaking games in the regular season. How would you rate your regular season performance for year five?

Well, it started shitty. I didn't have a great start to the year. But I'm really proud of myself and the group for the turnaround that we had in the middle of December. We've been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since January. So we're just trying to ride that momentum into the playoffs and keep it going.

I'm proud of the resilience that I've shown and that our group has shown because, you know, social media loves to clown people when they're not doing well. And you know how things work when you're not doing well, people want to dance on your grave. That's just how the world works. But to be able to turn that around for myself and for our group has been amazing.

Now tunnel fits are almost as publicized as the game. How important is what you wear when you show up to the arena?

I think it is important. What I love about tunnel fits is just individuality. Everybody gets to showcase themselves and things that they're into. You know, some guys just want to wear sweats, just want to be comfy. They don't care, which I think is cool. But at the same time, there's guys like Harrison Barnes, who was my vet. He wears a suit to every game. I fuck with that. I like people getting to show what they care about and their passions and their creativity.

What about when the social media feedback isn’t so positive?

I laugh at it like everybody else. There's some misses — you ain't gonna make every shot you take. There's some outfits that I look back on, like, damn, I probably should've switched that, or probably shouldn't have done that at all. But that's just part of it. And yeah, I laugh with people. I think it's funny. I think even times where I put things on that I really like, I like the way it looks where other people don't. And that's okay with me too.

That's the great part about fashion: There's no definite answer on what looks good or what is the right piece or the right pairing. Fashion is subjective. Everybody's able to have their own opinion. I've become somebody who will put pieces on that become kind of controversial, or can create a social media conversation. But you know, you can only control so much of it. It's all fun at the end of the day.

So who's your style GOAT?

Honestly, it's my pops. Growing up, he always had on a sweatsuit, matching top and bottom with the matching kicks, you know, always putting fits on. Everybody used to always come up to me like, “Man, your pops is so fly.” I really cherish those moments because I see the way that he dressed. There's a passion in him looking good. There's nobody more confident in themselves than my pops. He's always like, "Man, I look too good,” you know? And I think that that's just kind of been passed down to me.

Top 5 best-dressed NBA players of all time: Who makes the starting lineup?

I'm gonna go with A.I. He really defines what 2000s fashion is. So I have to put him in there. Dennis Rodman, he was never afraid to break boundaries and do something different. You got to put him in there. Russell Westbrook. I was born in 2000, so a lot of my NBA watching was between 2010 and 2020. That time is synonymous with Russell Westbrook doing the overalls with no top on under it and just doing his own thing. So I'd be remiss to leave out Russ. Those are three. I'll say Clyde Frazier. He's PUMA fam, so I show love to PUMA fans, but as well as he's still courtside, still putting it on. He always comes correct. That's four, and then I'd be remiss to leave out Shai. If you ask any kid right now who's the flyest dude in the NBA, they're all going to say Shai. He's just got it. That would be my top five. And I'll put myself on the bench. I'll be the sixth man.

Let’s talk about sneakers. You joined PUMA back in October, and have since put out several player exclusive colorways of the All-Pro NITRO. How’s that collaboration process been?

I knew going into last summer that I was gonna be a free agent. I'd have the opportunity to meet with other brands. And right away, PUMA stood out just because of their commitment to me. And they've really started to establish themselves as a premier basketball brand in the last — what is that, like six years they came into the NBA? They've really allowed me to do a lot of special things with colors. When it comes to colors, PUMA has the game on lock — nobody does it like Puma. And so with this year me playing in the PUMA All-Pro NITRO, I wanted to be able to create a bunch of different colors. I've done a pair for my dog; I've done a pair for our mascot for the Pacers; I let my nieces design a couple pairs; I did a dress shoe pair. I've just kind of done a bunch of different colorways that I'm really proud of and that I really like. And so the collaboration has been amazing. The dream of mine is for sure to have my own signature shoe. Hopefully that can come to fruition one day.

What song have you been listening to lately to get fired up before the playoffs? And talk to us about your shout-out in Rob49’s “WTHELLY” song.

It's been pretty consistent since I was like, 13: Drake. I sprinkle in other artists. I love J. Cole. I love Future. I love older music too. I grew up in the 2000s, so my pops had me listening to a lot of current stuff then. I'm thinking like Akon, Nelly, R&B, Alicia Keys, Usher, stuff like that. But Michael Jackson's one of my favorite artists. Thriller's the greatest album of all time. There's literally not one bad track on there. So I sprinkle in a little bit of everything.

Rob 49 just came out with “What the Helly.” It's definitely in the rotation right now. My people keep telling me that I'm spamming the track, that I'm overplaying it. But it's really one of my first shout-outs in music. And it's become kind of a viral hit. I'm on TikTok just like everybody else my age. Like every five scrolls is that track, you know? So I love to see it. Appreciate it. I've always wanted a rap shout-out. That was really dope.

What’s a normal day in Indiana for you when you’re not playing basketball?

I’ve been here for a little over three years. I'm from the Midwest through and through. I'm a Midwest kid. There’s not a ton of stuff to do here. But I love that. I spend a lot of my time here in this game room. Playing the game, watching films, chilling with my dog, chilling with my girl. My whole family lives out here, so chilling with them as well is important for me. But I'm a homebody. I don't leave the crib that often. I just go to the gym, come back from the gym, and then kind of just chill. And that's a life that I really appreciate. I'm a simple man. I feel like I don't need much, and I love being here in Indiana. You know, I don't really go back to Wisconsin too much. I'm not really there as much as I used to be since, you know, this Bucks rivalry has become a thing.

How have the fans been? Do you get spotted often when you’re out doing your thing?

The Midwest Nice is a very true thing. Midwest people are very respectful, but they're very passionate about their sports, especially here in Indiana. You got IU, you got Purdue, you got Notre Dame in terms of college. But everybody is a Pacers fan, and everybody's a Colts fan, because people here are crazy about sports, especially basketball. You think of Hoosiers, you think of all the different things that come with Indiana. The saying is that it's not just basketball here in Indiana, it's different. And I think that's very true. People really show a lot of love to me when I'm out and about. And I appreciate that people always do it in a respectful way. They see me at dinner or something, they'll leave me be. But if I'm just walking around or, you know, at a store or whatever, people always show love.

Any good spots you like to shop at here in Indy?

I don't really shop a ton in person. I let Olivier do a lot of stuff in New York. But I'm an avid online shopper. I'm always on Grailed. Always on The RealReal. I'm always on eBay. I got secret accounts on all of them that I'm always hunting for vintage pieces or just pieces in general.

What’s a best-kept secret here in Indiana?

Let me think… I want to make sure I'm giving Indiana proper love. If I'm saying a restaurant, I'd tell everybody to go to St. Elmo's and get the shrimp cocktail. It's a very touristy answer, but I feel like everybody's got to do it once.

Everybody has to experience a high school basketball game in Indiana. In Indiana, they have six, I believe, of the ten biggest high school gyms in the world. And that's for basketball specifically. So I feel like everybody needs to enjoy a packed Indiana high school basketball game. I can't even explain it to you. You have to experience it because it's just not the same. Basketball is not the same here in Indy.