Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s ruptured right Achilles couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Seven minutes into Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton crumpled to the court as he took a pass and attempted to drive toward the 3-point arc.
The injury occurred just three days after Haliburton was limited to 23 minutes in Indiana’s 108-91 Game 6 win due to a lingering calf injury. Despite not playing at 100%, Haliburton recently admitted during an appearance on the “Impaulsive” podcast that he had no regrets about playing in Game 7 knowing he could risk further injury.
“I met with the doctor and he said, ‘During the regular season, I’d tell you to sit 2-3 weeks, but it’s the Finals, so [you should play],’” Haliburton stated. “You think I’m going to sit down? I had some close friends and family (members), and mentors call me after Game 5 like, ‘Hey, shut it down.’ No, [I wouldn’t have taken that advice], hell no.”
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Because his injury happened so late in the postseason and the timetable needed to fully recover from Achilles injuries, Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 season.
And even if the Pacers get back to the NBA Finals, Haliburton says he won’t be healthy enough to suit up.
“From the injury, I think it’ll be 15 months until I play my next game,” Haliburton said. “…It’s a slow process. It’s like Groundhog’s Day — every single day doing the same [expletive], same lifts, all those same things. But it is what it is.”
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If his recovery goes according to plan, Haliburton’s tracking to be ready in time for training camp in 2026-27.
While he’s been through grueling injuries before in his career, Haliburton admitted this one is by far the most challenging.
“Yeah [it’s the worst injury I’ve had], no question. I strained my hamstring a couple years ago — it was like a month I was out. It was the same year I needed to play 65 games to get my supermax (contract), so like I was rushing to get back. … That’s probably been the most mentally draining was that, but this is like a whole other level.”
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