With the 2026 calendar on to March, leap year babies are halfway to properly celebrating a birthday again — Tyrese Haliburton included.
The Indiana Pacers star received a birthday post from the NBA and others, including his fiancée, Jade Jones, on Saturday (Feb. 28). However, Haliburton was actually born on Feb. 29, making him a leap year baby.
On Sunday, Haliburton shared appreciation for all of the birthday wishes while also clarifying that he indeed celebrates on March 1, too (at least in between leap years).
Appreciate all the birthday love yesterday! And yes I celebrate today too😂❤️
— Tyrese Haliburton (@Hali) March 1, 2026
Haliburton — who is out for the season due to a torn Achilles — is one of four NBA players ever to be born on a leap year, alongside John Chaney (1920), Chucky Brown (1968) and Vonteego Cummings (1976).
Boomer, the Pacers’ mascot, celebrated Haliburton’s birthday in 2024 with a giant card that read: “Happy 6th birthday Tyrese.” Haliburton explained then that “it’s just as good” without his birthday because more gifts are in store.
“Honestly, when it’s not my birthday, I get two days to celebrate,” Haliburton said. “So I would argue that it’s just as good without my birthday because I get two of them, but for this birthday this year I bought myself more gifts than I usually would. I celebrate it accordingly.”
The Pacers didn’t play on Feb. 29 that season, and Haliburton missed a chance to do so while at Iowa State in 2020. He had suffered a season-ending fractured wrist on Feb. 8.
Haliburton will get his next shot in 2028 when he turns 7.
