Joel Embiid smiles and laughs from the outside looking in, but he admits that most people are kept at arm’s distance. Not many NBA players can consider themselves close friends of Embiid’s. Nevertheless, Tyrese Haliburton is one of the few who can.
Haliburton appeared on Logan Paul’s podcast “Impaulsive” on Wednesday, and discussed various aspects of his NBA career, including his relationship with Embiid. “Not many people are cool with Joel Embiid,” Haliburton said. “I happen to be pretty cool with him. He FaceTimed me the other day. I’m like, ‘You don’t call anybody,’ so he’s genuinely checking on me.”
Embiid and Haliburton seemed to get close during the Olympics
It’s unknown when Embiid and Haliburton’s friendship began. Since the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers face off at least three times each season, it was easy for the stars to get familiar with each other.
Embiid and Haliburton’s dynamic was first portrayed before the 2024 Olympics. Both Eastern Conference all-stars played for Team USA, who took home the gold medal for the fifth consecutive time. Haliburton jokingly tried to recruit Embiid to join the Pacers at some point during a practice and Embiid stated he’d rather retire than live in Indiana. However, he was down to come over to Haliburton’s house for dinner when the 76ers visited the Pacers.
Embiid and Haliburton went down two separate paths after the Olympics, but endured the same tragic end.
Injuries plagued Embiid and Haliburton
The 2023 Most Valuable Player was limited to 19 games last season and shut down in February to undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. Philadelphia was forced to punt another season and finished with a 24-58 record – its worst since the 2016-17 campaign.
Meanwhile, Haliburton anchored one of the most entertaining Cinderella runs in league history. The Indiana Pacers stunningly churned through the East and took the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton caught fire in Game 7. He scored nine of the Pacers’ first 14 points to give them a four-point lead. Just when Indiana appeared to have a shot at the Larry O’Brien Trophy, he sadly went down with a torn achilles.
“Unbelievable,” Embiid said in ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye’s profile. “I kind of shed a tear.”
In what was once a tale of two seasons, Embiid and Haliburton can now empathize with each other about how quickly injuries can destroy what has taken countless unseen hours to build. Hopefully, the two franchise cornerstones can also build each other back up during their respective recoveries because the NBA is at its best when these two are on the floor.