Tyrese Haliburton's girlfriend stuns in custom Pacers ensemble for Game 3 win
An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers took a 2-1 series lead after defeating the Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Image 2 shows Jade Jones, the girlfriend of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, modeled a custom look before Game 3 on June 11, 2025, Image 3 shows The Pacers star has been supported by Jade Jones throughout the postseason
Jade Jones modeled the winning look on Wednesday night.
Before Game 3 of the NBA Finals tipped off, the girlfriend of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton took to her Instagram Stories to showcase the custom Indiana ensemble she rocked at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the home team topped the Thunder, 116-107, to take a 2-1 series lead.
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Jones, who has supported the Pacers throughout their playoff run, paired her black tank top and matching knee-high boots with a denim mini skirt that featured Pacers detailing.
Jade Jones, the girlfriend of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, modeled a custom look before Game 3 on June 11, 2025. Jade Jones/Instagram
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers took a 2-1 series lead after defeating the Thunder in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
The Pacers made a statement at home Wednesday night with guard Bennedict Mathurin scoring 27 points off the bench while Haliburton dropped 22.
The two-time NBA All-Star is averaging 18.6 points this postseason.
Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers are two wins away from an NBA title. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Pacers star has been supported by Jade Jones throughout the postseason. Jade Jones/Instagram
Indiana swiped Game 1 of the series on the road following a 21-foot jumper from Haliburton with 0.3 seconds left to put the Pacers up, 111-110.
However, the Pacers' victory lap was short-lived as the Thunder, guided by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, took Game 2 with a resounding 123-107 win.
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During Sunday's contest at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Jones — who recently celebrated her sixth anniversary with Haliburton — seemed to get into it with Thunder fans.
The couple celebrated six years of dating this spring. Jade Jones/Instagram
Jade Jones has modeled custom Pacers looks during the playoffs. Jade Jones/Instagram
In footage circulating on social media, Jones appeared to argue with OKC supporters, standing up in the stands and pointing her finger in the direction of fans dressed in blue T-shirts. Those on the receiving end were not seen in the video, though.
The Pacers are now two wins away from capturing their first NBA championship.
Indiana won three titles in the 1970s when they were part of the American Basketball Association.
Haliburton has been with the Pacers since 2022. He was originally traded in February that year by the Kings, who selected him 12th overall out of Iowa State in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Game 4 is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m.
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New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
NBA players and shoe deals: Motivation shifts to ownership, control vs. the brand
The NBA Finals are basketball's ultimate competitive showcase, including the sneakers worn on the court. Historically, that's been a showcase run predominantly by Nike, which includes a large roster of the NBA's biggest and highest-profile players, in addition to still producing merchandise under the Jordan Brand and Kobe Bryant. Advertisement It's impossible to watch the NBA without seeing the Nike influence. Nike is the league's official uniform partner, so the logo is on every player, down to the socks. The 2025 finals, however, aren't about the biggest shoe brands. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton used Game 1 to debut his first signature shoe with Puma: the Hali 1. Oklahoma City Thunder star and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is signed to Converse, a subsidiary of Nike. Two small-market teams are providing a big stage for shoe brands other than Nike and Adidas, which have dominated the conversation in basketball shoes for decades. Michael Jordan signed with Nike in 1984, setting the stage for its rise to the top. Adidas has a long basketball history, and has maintained the second spot in the market thanks to deals with the likes of James Harden, Damian Lillard and Tracy McGrady. Bryant also began his career with Adidas. But as more athletes have sought more input and control over their brands, they are turning to brands without the mainstream clout, or they're starting their own shoe lines. After Haliburton hit a game-winning jump shot in Game 1, he brought a pair of his signature Puma sneakers to his postgame news conference. Decked out in all white with black sunglasses and a smile that stretched from ear to ear, Haliburton, who signed with Puma in October, placed the pink basketball shoes on the podium. As he took questions and cameras flashed, Haliburton seized the opportunity to showcase his new shoes. Later, Haliburton tweeted an ode to a popular Air Jordan slogan. It was the perfect moment for a sneaker debut. Tyrese Haliburton unveiled his first signature shoe for PUMA the "Hali 1" and credits them with his game-winning shot over OKC in Game 1 👟 🔥 — Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) June 6, 2025 The greats have their own signature shoes. Bryant, Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Kevin Durant are among the NBA's top names from the past and present with signature shoe lines that have become part of on and off-court fashion. For many years, the path to a signature shoe was having a brand like Nike or Adidas — another former league uniform partner — to sign the athlete and make him or her a part of the exclusive club of players with a signature shoe. There are additional ways to make that happen while also having a bigger say in the process and a bigger role with the company beyond wearing apparel. Advertisement In some cases, players such as Haliburton opt to go with companies looking to reestablish themselves in the market like Puma, which has leaned into nostalgia with Clyde Frazier, the first NBA player with a signature shoe when the Puma Clyde was released in 1973, and is finding ways to connect with a new generation with LaMelo Ball. Haiburton's playoff run couldn't come at a better time for Puma. 'I heard many rumblings through my last year with my previous brand around brands that potentially could be interested in me, and Puma was a name that always came up,' Haliburton told The Athletic. 'I didn't know how I felt about it until I met them (and) got to know them better. I feel really good about it.' Others have found homes with newer companies, such as Kyrie Irving with Anta. And it's not just All-Star players. Cleveland Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro has found a home with Holo and has a signature shoe. A post shared by CloseUp360 (@closeup360) Irving is one of the biggest names to step away from Nike. He and the company mutually parted ways in December 2023 amid controversy over his sharing an antisemitic film on social media. He signed with Anta in July 2024 and currently serves as the brand's chief creative officer. The China-based company already had Klay Thompson among its signature athletes. Irving said he enjoys the creative process, but he also values ownership of his ideas. Nike owned his logo, which meant his children couldn't benefit financially from it. He's happy to represent Anta and also see other players exploring ways to have a presence in the sneaker world. He likened shoe contracts to a 360 music deal, when artists surrender profits from all streams of income, even those not related to music. 'Being able to redefine this basketball shoe design space or signature athlete space, it's been a great ride, and I'm enjoying it,' Irving said during NBA All-Star Weekend. 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A post shared by Wealth (@wealth) Okoro is one of those players actively practicing the lessons Irving and Brown want their peers to learn. Okoro said he was approached by Holo last year. He didn't have a signature shoe, much less a company offering to allow him to have input, company equity and royalties for sales. Okoro said signing with Holo was a 'no-brainer.' 'Being able to actually be in the meetings and the discussions of how we would design the shoe, what colorways I want and just seeing the process of how shoes get designed was definitely eye-opening,' Okoro said. Okoro is involved in more than designing. He tested his shoe to make sure it worked for him. 'Being able to actually put the shoes on and tell them this feels good, this doesn't feels good (was important),' Okoro said. 'Then them going back and actually fixing those problems and then coming back and giving me the shoe again … it actually fits perfectly and feels great to play in. Also, just getting all the nicks and stuff out of it.' This generation isn't the first to go against the grain in signing shoe deals. During the 1980s, when Converse was the top shoe, James Worthy signed with New Balance in '82 and had the company's first signature basketball shoe and a deal worth $1 million. Advertisement Hakeem Olajuwon signed with Etonic in 1984 for something 'fresh' when Converse or Nike seemed like logical choices, given he was the first pick in the NBA Draft, followed by a deal with L.A. Gear. He later had a shoe deal with Spalding, the company best known for making basketballs, which released the shoe in 1995. Olajuwon wanted to offer an affordable shoe option with Spalding at a time when there were reports of deaths involving sneaker thefts. LA Gear (1990) ft. Hakeem Olajuwon & Joe Montana — 90s NBA (@NBA90s) June 3, 2024 Shaquille O'Neal had a signature shoe with Reebok but still managed to produce a more affordable line of his own, Shaq shoes. 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It had the classic 1986 commercial featuring Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, Mark Aguirre, Bernard King and Larry Bird, the NBA MVP. It's also had relationships with league players such as Wade and Dennis Rodman, but Gilgeous-Alexander is giving the brand a modern-day elite-level talent to carry it. Puma had a presence at NBA All-Star Weekend with Ball and his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed collection, but it couldn't ask for a bigger spotlight than what it has with Haliburton, who has raised his profile with last-second, game-winning shots in each round of the postseason, including Game 1 of the finals. 'We had a great dinner, great meeting. (Footwear designer) Salehe Bembury is the new head of creative for basketball, and he obviously has a very big following and is well-knowledged in the game of sneaker designing,' Haliburton said. 'For him to bring that mindset where he's had so much success into basketball, and I was going to be his first basketball shoe, that was really exciting for me. I think that was appealing. 'For me, I wanted to go somewhere I was valued, and I think Puma from the jump just showed how much they valued me.' For Haliburton, being empowered to be a part of the creative process in designing the sneaker, as well as everything being an extension of his personal basketball story, was important. His involvement in the design can be seen in the unique rounded edges of his 'TH' and 'Hali' logos, in addition to the hibiscus pink colorway. 'There's a bunch of different colorways that we have in our planning moving forward, but the pink was important to me because my first pair of real basketball shoes, my first organized pair, was a pair of pink basketball shoes,' Haliburton explained. 'That was, like, fourth grade, at a time where wearing pink shoes wasn't a thing. 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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Giannis Antetokounmpo Ends Trade Speculation, Wants To Reach NBA Finals With Bucks
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton has noticeable limp after Game 2 loss to Thunder
The post Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton has noticeable limp after Game 2 loss to Thunder appeared first on ClutchPoints. Tyrese Haliburton was not at his best during the Indiana Pacers' 123-107 Game 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday night. Advertisement Haliburton, after being the hero of Game 1, felt invisible in the first half of Game 2, scoring just three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field as the Pacers went down by double digits in the second quarter, although this time, they were unable to muster up the energy to come back from such a huge deficit. Haliburton did finish with 17 points on the night, but by the time he was making shots, it was already too late for the Pacers. Nevertheless, a split in Paycom Center is just about as good as the Pacers could have hoped for heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. However, there is some concern surrounding the Pacers heading into that pivotal clash. Following Haliburton's postgame presser, he was walking with a noticeable limp that could perhaps impact his performance the deeper both teams go in this year's Finals. Footage is via Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files: It's not quite clear if Haliburton is dealing with a legitimate lower-body injury that could hamper his movement speed for the rest of the series, or if he was limping simply as a result of all the fatigue he was experiencing as a result of dealing with the Thunder's suffocating defense for 34 minutes of game time. Advertisement Oklahoma City was right up in Haliburton's grill for the entirety of the game. Lu Dort was sticking to him like glue, and the Pacers, as a result, struggled to generate many easy buckets, especially in the first half. The Pacers cannot afford to fall behind early in the game yet again, and having a healthy Haliburton would go a long way towards making sure that they keep in step with the Thunder in Game 3 to avenge their double-digit loss on Sunday night. Thunder's hounding defense is pushing the Pacers to their limit Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports The Pacers are unflinching in their identity. They will run after every made basket by the opponent to try and create advantages that they otherwise wouldn't have if they slowed down. Advertisement However, unlike most teams in the NBA, the Thunder have the pace and the personnel to keep up with their run-and-gun style, forcing Indiana to thread the eye of the needle just to generate points on the board. It's downright exhausting to see the Pacers struggle to take care of the ball and get into their offensive sets cleanly with Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and their other offensive initiators being picked up as soon as they cross halfcourt. And it's no wonder that Indiana was feeling exhausted after that Game 2 rout. Related: Skip Bayless drops harsh Pacers take after Game 2 loss to Thunder Related: Richard Jefferson casually roasts Kendrick Perkins with Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton quip
