Tyrese Haliburton Named To NBA All-Rookie First Team
Jun 18, 2021, 10:06 AM | Updated: 10:25 am
(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Haliburton was named to the All-Rookie First Team on Thursday afternoon to cap off a memorable rookie season
It truly was a rookie season to remember for Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Just one day removed from a third-place finish in the Rookie of the Year Award voting, Haliburton was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie First Team on Friday. The 21-year-old guard becomes the first Kings player to receive the honor since Marvin Bagley was a part of the 2018-19 first team.
Haliburton burst onto the scene in exciting fashion, posting 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47-percent from the field, 40-percent from three-point range and 85-percent from the free-throw line over 58 games played.
After missing the last half of his sophomore season at Iowa State, the 12th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft was thrown right into the fiery competitiveness of professional basketball after experiencing no Summer League action (cancelled due to COVID-19) and an abbreviated training camp.
Joining De’Aaron Fox in the backcourt, Haliburton provided the Kings lineup with a strong presence on both sides of the ball while also providing the team with an uplifting presence in the locker room.
Sacramento seems to have struck gold in drafting Haliburton at the 12-spot, with the talented guard proving that he can be a difference maker at the highest level of professional basketball.
Joining Haliburton on the first team: Rookie of the Year and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey and Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate.