In 2022, the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings negotiated a blockbuster deal that drastically changed the course of the two franchises. Thanks to the deal, the Pacers were able to achieve their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2014, and the Kings snapped their infamous 16-year playoff drought.
Six players were involved in the deal, but the two biggest parts of it (by far) were Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis. Since the deal, both have gone on to have great success in their own right. However, whether they like it or not, the two will be connected for the rest of their career.
Ironically enough, on Tuesday, we received some more light-hearted news that adds another thread between the two All-NBA players.
Tyrese Haliburton and Domantas Sabonis are co-stars
Because they were traded for one another, Haliburton and Sabonis never got the chance to be teammates (although they would have been a great fit together). But even if they never get to play on the same team, they can always say that they starred in the same show.
As many readers of A Royal Pain are well aware, Sabonis was one of the five main characters in Netflix's show "Starting 5." If you aren't familiar with the premise, the show cataloged the lives of Sabonis, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler as they navigated the trials and tribulations of the 2023-24 season.
On Tuesday, we got the announcement that Starting 5 would be returning for Season 2, and this time, the show is going to spotlight James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, Jaylen Brown, and, you guessed it, Haliburton as the five stars go through the 2024-25 campaign.
Sources: Cast for season two of Netflix's NBA documentary series Starting 5: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Haliburton. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/FYlsRDLf0o
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 29, 2024
Once again, Haliburton is coming somewhere right after Sabonis leaves. So, the two technically aren't actively co-starring in it together. Still, the show will appear on both of their IMDb pages.
Now, fans can debate who won the Sabonis/Haliburton trade (the answer is that they both did) AND which one of them did the better job on the Starting 5.