Source: Justin Ford / Getty
The 2024-25 NBA season was full of disappointing injuries, but perhaps none more heartbreaking than Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton was starting to cook in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder when he went down with a calf injury. He was ruled out for the rest of the game, cementing the team’s loss. And an MRI confirmed Monday what most fans already knew: he’d torn his right Achilles tendon.
The moments after the injury were rough, no matter who you were rooting for, as a frustrated and emotional Haliburton smacked the hardwood and put no weight on his right leg as he left the court with his head covered in towels.
But now, a few days removed and already undergone surgery to repair his leg, he doesn’t regret attempting to play through the nagging calf injury.
“I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers,” Haliburton wrote in an emotional social media statement. “For the chance to do something special.”
The 25-year-old took to X, formerly Twitter, with a lengthy message regarding the rollercoaster of emotions he had gone through in the past 48 hours, alongside a photo of him recovering in a hospital bed while making a heart shape with his hands.
He’s still frustrated with the moment, having led the Pacers on a playoff run that torched the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks, only to be defeated by his own body once he got to the biggest stage.
He admits that “this sh-t sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this shit out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry.”
Haliburton goes on to apologize to the city of Indianapolis, vowing to “fight like hell” to get back to the finals once he’s healed.
Towards the end of the post, he quotes Kobe Bryant, who suffered an Achilles tear in 2013 and coped by telling himself things could always be worse.
“There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn Achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever,” Haliburton wrote.
So he promises his fans —and teammates— that he’s committed to the rehab process and before long, will be “right back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.”
The Pacers did not reveal a timeline for Haliburton’s return, but he’s expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season.
See social media’s response to Haliburton addressing his injury below.