One of Cooper's most popular stories involved
hand-tracking all 1,843 of Tyrese Haliburton's passes in his first year with the Pacers. After two weeks straight of watching film over the offseason and four days of writing, she observed that Haliburton's jump passes, which have traditionally been thought of as bad technique at lower levels, were extremely effective.
That effort won her over two subscribers — Haliburton and his brother.
"I thought it was very interesting," Haliburton said. "I appreciate people who pay attention to the little nuances of the game. Obviously the work it took for her to do that article was super cool, and I appreciate it because my whole life, I've been told not to jump and pass. So, I appreciated having someone on my side."
Haliburton calls himself "very much a fan of Caitlin Cooper." He and his brother both own merchandise from
Cooper's TeePublic shop. Haliburton proudly wore his "Jump passes are good now" shirt before a game this season.
"I definitely listen to what she has to say sometimes, and I laugh because I'm like, 'Damn,'" Haliburton said. "I can't even fathom that she picked up on what we're doing, and we're doing this coverage now, or this is what's going on."
"I just like to read what she has to say."
Cooper's attention to detail has become legendary among fans, media and the NBA itself. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle calls himself a "longtime admirer" of her writing.
"I've talked to her a couple times, and hopefully I'll be talking to her again soon," Carlisle said. "Her work is very compelling. It's very detailed, very in-depth. And it's unique because it comes from the perspective of real basketball knowledge, not just analytic knowledge. We see her work a lot and have great respect for it."
"I think it's brilliant work. I've reached out to her and told her what a fan I am," Pacers assistant coach Jenny Boucek said. "It is elite how she studies it. She puts in a lot of work. She obviously has a good eye and understanding of the game."