Tyrese Haliburton recalls his terrible injury during the NBA Finals: "For that to happen was.."
One never knows what could have happened, but the reality for the Indiana Pacers is that they had practically no chance of beating the Oklahoma City Thunder without their best player.
Tyrese Haliburton, star of the Indiana Pacers, spoke out for the first time after the serious injury he suffered in the seventh game of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The guard, who ruptured his Achilles tendon, will miss the entire 2025/26 season and offered his first statements on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
"I think when a player gets injured, or when this happens so many times, everyone believes they have the answer to why it happens," said Haliburton, as quoted by ESPN. "Whether we play too many games, accumulate too many minutes... that may all be true, but I don't think that's the real cause of these injuries."
Haliburton was one of three star players in the playoffs and one of seven in total in the 2024/25 season who suffered Achilles tendon ruptures. Even the rookie from the Nuggets, DaRon Holmes, fell with the same injury during the July Summer League. "I don't think anyone really has the answer," he added. "Sometimes it's just bad luck. That's how sports go."
As is common with these types of injuries, Haliburton felt the classic sensation of being "kicked in the back of the leg" and knew instantly what had happened. He had been dealing with calf issues from previous games and was devastated that he could not help the Pacers win their first title in history. "What hurt the most was not being out there with my teammates," he confessed, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. "It was a rollercoaster of emotions. I wasn't thinking about the next season or what had led me there. I just wanted to be in that Game 7 moment. For that to happen... it sucked."
The 2025/26 season for Haliburton
Haliburton had already undergone an MRI after the fifth game, in which he could only score four points and constantly felt discomfort in his leg. Doctors told him that if it were a regular-season game, he would have been out for several weeks. But being the Finals, he decided to risk and play. He even passed a stress test on his calf before the sixth game. "After Game 6, I thought, 'That's it, it's healed. With the adrenaline, I'll push through, I'll be fine,'" he explained. "Before Game 7, I felt nothing, I was perfect. That's why I think I started the game so well, I felt great physically... and then it happened."
Currently, Haliburton is in the early stage of his rehabilitation. He uses a scooter to move around, keeps his leg elevated most of the time, and is focusing on upper body work and overall strengthening. He understands that the next season will be a recovery phase but doesn't want to disconnect from the team. "I haven't yet thought about what the season will mean for me," he admitted. "I probably won't travel much at the beginning; it will depend on the recovery phase. But I want to be with the guys as much as I can. I want to use this time to keep growing mentally in the game, be close to coach Rick Carlisle, attend technical meetings, talk to Kevin Pritchard (operations president)... I think I have a good basketball mind. I want to help in any way I can. As soon as I can walk, I'll be on the bench."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tyrese Haliburton recuerda su terrible lesión en plenas Finales NBA: "Que pasara eso fue..."
