Before the decisive Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst raised eyebrows with a skeptical take on Tyrese Haliburton’s calf injury. Speaking on The Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst said,
“Here’s the thing about Haliburton — I don’t know what’s going on with that calf. He looked darn good in Game 6, it makes you wonder... makes you wonder a little more about how Game 5 played out.”
At the time, it didn’t seem like a reckless comment. Haliburton had returned for Game 6 after missing significant time in Game 5, where he scored just four points on 0-6 shooting.
In Game 6, he logged 23 minutes, looked much more mobile, and poured in 14 points on 5-12 shooting. Naturally, some speculated he might have been load-managing rather than genuinely hurt. Windhorst wasn’t alone in that suspicion.
But then came Game 7. Seven minutes into the biggest game of his life, Haliburton collapsed to the floor clutching his leg in pain. What initially looked like an aggravation of his calf strain turned out to be far worse: an Achilles injury.
It was a brutal moment. Haliburton had looked sharp before the injury, scoring nine points on 3-5 shooting and hitting 3 of 4 from deep. But just like that, his night and likely his 2025-26 season were over.
The broadcast caught him screaming as medical staff helped him off the floor. Lisa Salters later reported from courtside that Haliburton’s father confirmed it was a torn Achilles, with the Pacers star trying to stay positive while watching the rest of the game from the locker room.
Windhorst is one of the most respected NBA journalists today, and his knowledge of the league’s inner workings is second to none. But in this case, his suggestion that Haliburton might have been exaggerating or gaming the situation fell flat in the cruelest way.
There was no faking it. The injury was real, and now Haliburton joins a horrifyingly long list of NBA stars whose seasons have ended with a torn Achilles or ACL.
He’s the 11th such player this year alone, alongside names like Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, Dejounte Murray, and Kyrie Irving. And just like Kevin Durant in 2019, Haliburton had been playing through a leg issue, perhaps prematurely, which raises major concerns about how teams manage high-stakes playoff injuries.
Haliburton's fall highlights a growing crisis in the NBA: too many games, too much wear and tear, and too little recovery. Coaches like JJ Redick and Steve Kerr have repeatedly called for the season to be shortened. Even Mark Cuban has said load management is necessary in today’s game.
But the league has resisted. And until something changes, injuries like Haliburton’s may keep happening, while critics, podcasters, and fans keep guessing until it’s too late.
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