Halliburton reveals the player who is helping him the most with his Achilles injury: "I talk a lot with Tatum"

For Tyrese Haliburton, the recovery from a right Achilles tendon rupture is not just a physical process. It's a constant mental and emotional experience that has been with him since he suffered the injury in the seventh game of the NBA Finals last summer. As he quietly works towards returning to the elite, the star point guard of the Indiana Pacers maintains one focus: to get back on that stage and do it better.

At 25 years old, Haliburton acknowledges that the injury still occupies space in his mind as he progresses through the rehabilitation. In a conversation with The Athletic, he made it clear that the memory is always present, even when he tries to focus on the day-to-day process.

“I think about it every time I blink,” Haliburton said about the injury. “I think about it all the time. I don't know if I'll ever stop thinking about it, but it's important to understand that you have to move forward.”

The start of the preseason was particularly tough. While the rest of the Pacers team enjoyed a break after the painful loss in the Finals, Haliburton spent those days rehabbing alone at the team facilities. For a player whose style is based on rhythm, movement, and transition, the repetitive routine and isolation posed a significant emotional challenge.

“I'm not saying I'm stuck in Indiana, but I was here rehabbing, alone in the gym with no one else,” he explained. “After a while, it made me sad because I just wanted to be able to do what I usually do and couldn't.”

NBA Support: An Unexpected Brotherhood

Amidst that journey, Haliburton found comfort in other players who have gone through similar injuries. He stays in regular contact with Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, and Kevin Durant, all with direct experience of Achilles tendon ruptures. That connection, born of shared pain, has served as psychological support during the toughest times.

“Jayson and I talk a lot. Dejounte has been great for me,” Haliburton explained. “Some of us are going through the same thing, and it's important that we can check in on each other.”

Jade Jones, a Constant Support

Off the court, Jade Jones, his fiancée, has been a key presence throughout the process. The couple got engaged at the end of July at Iowa State University, where they met. Haliburton proposed to her on the basketball court, with his injury scooter nearby, in a moment full of symbolism.

Jones, who has regularly attended Pacers games since their college years, described the initial recovery months as the toughest. “The first two months, when I literally couldn't walk, were the most difficult,” Jones told The Athletic. “Tyrese never stops. He had never experienced an injury like this in his career, so it has been an adaptation process.”

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