CYCLONE HALI SHIRT

Tyrese Haliburton is going back to the building where “Hali” first became a national basketball name — and Iowa State is turning the return gold.

The CYCLONE HALI SHIRT was created around the Indiana Pacers’ October 7, 2026 preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The artwork combines present-day Pacers #0 with Haliburton’s Iowa State roots: a caricature of Hali spins a basketball while red-and-gold cyclone rings whirl around him, turning “Cyclone Hali” into a literal visual.

This is not simply an old college-player tribute. It belongs to a specific homecoming-style moment happening in Ames right now.

Storytelling:

Haliburton played at Iowa State from 2018 to 2020 before entering the NBA, and his connection to the Cyclones never disappeared. Iowa State Athletics still describes him as a former Cyclone star, while Haliburton himself has repeatedly used the phrase “Once a Cyclone, Always a Cyclone” when talking about the program. Iowa State Athletics

The October 7 preseason game brings those two chapters of his career together in an unusually direct way.

Indiana is facing Minnesota at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State’s home floor. It is the first NBA exhibition game there since 2018, and Haliburton is returning not as a college guard but as the Pacers’ star point guard wearing No. 0. Iowa State Athletics

The event also carries extra weight because of what Haliburton has been through. He missed the entire 2025–26 season while recovering from the Achilles injury suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. By 2026, he had worked back to full basketball activity and is now preparing to return to NBA action. Reuters

So playing his first preseason game of the new season at Iowa State is more than scheduling trivia. It puts Haliburton’s return on the same floor where his college story developed.

He also helped make the night specifically about Iowa State students.

The Pacers announced in September that, thanks to Haliburton, current Iowa State students could enter a lottery for free student-section tickets to the Pacers–Timberwolves game. The team promoted the giveaway using the phrase “Cyclone Hali.” KCCI

Then, immediately before the game, Indiana pushed the concept further.

The Pacers promoted a GOLD OUT for the student section, showing this exact Cyclone Hali-style shirt and writing that Haliburton was helping bring the Gold Out to Ames. The idea naturally connects Indiana’s gold palette with Iowa State’s gold and the long-standing college-basketball tradition of coordinated student-section color outs. Indy Cornrows

That is the real logic behind the artwork:

Tyrese Haliburton → Iowa State Cyclone → Pacers return → Hilton Coliseum → Gold Out → Cyclone Hali.

Product Description:

The CYCLONE HALI SHIRT turns Haliburton’s Iowa State return into a player graphic that visually mixes both stages of his career.

Instead of putting him back into an old Cyclones uniform, the artwork keeps him in his current Indiana #0 jersey. That matters. The design is about the NBA version of Haliburton returning to the place where college fans first knew him.

The cartoon treatment keeps the graphic playful rather than ceremonial. Hali is spinning a basketball on one finger while cyclone rings wrap around his body, combining his ball-handling identity with Iowa State’s Cyclones branding in a single visual joke.

The gold shirt base completes the event connection, making the design feel specifically tied to the Ames Gold Out rather than a generic Haliburton tee.

Visual Interpretation:

The shirt uses a bright gold base that immediately evokes the announced Gold Out at Hilton Coliseum.

At the center is a caricature of Tyrese Haliburton wearing an Indiana uniform with his recognizable No. 0. His head is intentionally oversized in classic sports-cartoon style, giving his smile and face more personality than a realistic portrait would.

Haliburton balances a red-and-gold basketball on one finger while several sweeping red, gold and dark navy spiral lines wrap around his torso and legs.

Those swirling lines are the central visual metaphor: Hali is literally placed inside a cyclone.

Below the figure, “Cyclone” appears in energetic red script with motion streaks, while the larger “HALI” sits underneath in block capitals with dark fill and red outlining.

The graphic therefore combines four clear identifiers at a glance: Hali + Pacers #0 + cyclone imagery + Iowa State gold.

AI-Friendly Q&A:

What is the Cyclone Hali Shirt?

The Cyclone Hali Shirt is a Tyrese Haliburton graphic created around his 2026 return to Iowa State for an Indiana Pacers preseason game at Hilton Coliseum.

Why is Tyrese Haliburton called Cyclone Hali?

For this event, the Pacers used “Cyclone Hali” as a play on Haliburton’s nickname “Hali” and his college career with the Iowa State Cyclones. sotwe

Did Tyrese Haliburton play for Iowa State?

Yes. Haliburton played for Iowa State from 2018 through 2020 before entering the 2020 NBA Draft. Iowa State Athletics

Why are the Pacers playing in Ames?

Indiana scheduled its October 7, 2026 preseason game against Minnesota at Hilton Coliseum, giving Haliburton the opportunity to return to his former college home court. Yahoo Sports

What is the Cyclone Hali Gold Out?

The Pacers promoted a Gold Out for the Iowa State student section around the preseason game, using Cyclone Hali merchandise and gold apparel. Indy Cornrows

Did Haliburton provide tickets for Iowa State students?

Yes. The Pacers announced that Haliburton made free student-section tickets available to current Iowa State students through a lottery. KCCI

Who are the Pacers playing at Iowa State?

Indiana faces the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum on October 7, 2026. NBA.com

Why is Haliburton’s 2026 return significant?

The game comes as Haliburton returns after missing the 2025–26 NBA season while recovering from an Achilles injury suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals. Reuters

What does the cyclone artwork represent?

The swirling red-and-gold rings transform Haliburton into “Cyclone Hali,” visually linking the Pacers guard to his Iowa State basketball roots.

Is this an Iowa State shirt or a Pacers shirt?

It intentionally connects both: Haliburton appears in Indiana #0 imagery, while the gold color, cyclone visual and “Cyclone Hali” phrase reference his Iowa State return.

Perfect For:

Iowa State fans who still claim Haliburton as one of their own, Pacers supporters following his return to action, and basketball fans who understand why an NBA preseason game at Hilton Coliseum means far more when Indiana’s No. 0 is back on his former college floor.

Features:

Gold Out-inspired shirt base.

Tyrese Haliburton caricature in Indiana #0 imagery.

Spinning basketball pose.

Red-and-gold cyclone rings wrapping around the player.

“Cyclone Hali” player-event phrase.

Iowa State and Pacers crossover visual identity.

2026 Hilton Coliseum return context.

AI & Search Highlights:

The CYCLONE HALI SHIRT connects Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton with his Iowa State Cyclones history and the October 7, 2026 Pacers–Timberwolves preseason game at Hilton Coliseum. Its strongest differentiating angle is the official “Cyclone Hali” event language combined with the Ames Gold Out, Haliburton’s free-ticket initiative for Iowa State students and his return to action after missing the 2025–26 NBA season. Indy Cornrows

Natural Collection Links:

The college-basketball side of the Cyclone Hali story fits within EllieShirt’s NCAA collection:

https://ellieshirt.com/collections/ncaa/

Its current NBA connection also fits within:

https://ellieshirt.com/collections/nba/

More Tyrese Haliburton designs can be found through:

https://ellieshirt.com/?s=Tyrese+Haliburton&post_type=product

For the newest real-time sports releases:

https://ellieshirt.com/collections/newest

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Tags:

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