Jokes and solemnity collide on a banner night for former ISU men’s basketball star Tyrese Haliburton

AMES — Georges Niang jabbed and Tyrese Haliburton jovially absorbed the good-natured verbal hit.

The two former Iowa State stars — who never played together, but have become fast friends as NBA players on opposing teams — returned to Hilton Coliseum for Saturday night’s unveiling of Haliburton’s Olympic Gold medal-commemorating banner.

Niang, an ISU graduate, was asked how it felt to see Haliburton — who bolted to the NBA after two seasons as a Cyclone — honored in the rafters before him.

His answer did not disappoint.

“I was on the phone with (ISU director of athletics) Jamie Pollard earlier today and I’m like, ‘This kind of stuff can’t happen,’” said Niang, a 10-year NBA veteran who starred for the Cyclones from 2012-16. “I think it’s my 10-year anniversary of being an Iowa State graduate, that’s something Tyrese Haliburton does not have. I constantly tell him he’s an Iowa State dropout. A multi-millionaire, but Iowa State dropout.”

But seriously …

“I think it’s awesome, right?” Niang said of honoring Haliburton for becoming the ninth Cyclone to attain Olympic Gold.

So did every single person in an absolutely full Hilton, who rose to rapturously cheer Haliburton as he stood at midcourt at halftime of No. 9 ISU’s 84-67 win over No. 22 Arizona to see his banner for helping Team USA win Olympic Gold last summer in Paris unfurled to great fanfare.

“What’s funny about that is in the middle of my sophomore year I probably realized I was going to the NBA — and not that I didn’t want to, but I would have loved to be (in Ames) as long as possible,” said Haliburton, who’s gone on to become a two-time NBA All-Star for the Indiana Pacers. “And I think part of the reason that sucked is I looked up at the (retired) numbers and I’d be like, ‘Dang, I wish I could get up there.’ But I’ll leave in two years so I’ve probably got no chance. So the idea of my name being anywhere in this building, I kind of gave that up, unfortunately, but it’s a blessing that it’s able to happen (Saturday), and I’m really excited about it.

“This place means the world to me. I love Ames, Iowa, and I love Iowa State University.”

Haliburton met his longtime girlfriend, Jade, when she was a Cyclone cheerleader. They have a dog named “Ames” and Halliburton said he plans to attend ISU’s season-opening football game in Ireland against Kansas State.

“Me and Georges are planning to do that together,” he said. “I plan to come to the Iowa game, for the (Cy-Hawk) football game this year, so any excuse I can find to come to Ames is important to me.”

So much so that Haliburton seeks out people decked out on Cyclone garb anywhere he plays — whether in NBA venues or at international sites.

“When we were in London playing our exhibition games before the Olympics, there was a woman walking head-to-toe in Iowa State gear,” Haliburton said. “She had no idea who I was, but we struck up like a five- to 10-minute conversation, and that was just the coolest thing to me because you feel like you see Iowa State everywhere.”

As for Niang’s banner-based joke? Haliburton laughed, then made a pretty safe prediction.

“I know we’re not far off from (Niang’s) 31 hanging in the rafters,” he said. “And when that day happens, I will be here for sure. He means a lot to me and the fact that he’s here means the world to me, as well.”

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