Tyrese Haliburton Posts Update After Achilles Surgery
Tyrese Haliburton.
Tyrese Haliburton confirmed on social media that he tore his Achilles and had surgery to repair the injury
The basketball player helped lead the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals with one of the most clutch playoff performances in sports history
“Words cannot express the pain of this letdown,” Haliburton wrote
Tyrese Haliburton is opening up about the torn Achilles injury that kept him from finishing Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
In a heartbreaking update on social media posted on Monday, June 23, the 25-year-old Indiana Pacers guard confirmed he tore his Achilles and that he’s still in “shock” after the injury knocked him out of his team’s potential championship-clinching game Sunday night.
Haliburton’s injury came just over seven minutes into the game after he already sank three consecutive three-pointers and the Pacers seemed poised to write a storybook ending to their Cinderella run throughout the NBA postseason.
But playing with an already-strained right calf, the Oshkosh, Wis., native stepped awkwardly towards the basket and crumbled to the court in agony when his leg appeared to pop. Haliburton was in tears as he was helped off the court, screaming “No! No!” with the apparent knowledge he couldn’t finish the game.
Without their star guard, the Pacers ultimately lost the game – and the NBA Finals – to the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-91.
“Words cannot express the pain of this letdown,” Haliburton, 25, wrote on social media, sharing an image of himself in the hospital following his surgery. “The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.”
He continued, “Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to ‘come back stronger.’ What a cliche lol, this s--- sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind.”
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers sustains an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers sustains an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Haliburton said he’s leaned on his faith in recent days, adding how he trusts that “God never gives us more than we can handle.”
“I know I’ll come out on the other side of this a better man and a better player,” Haliburton continued. “And honestly, right now, torn Achilles and all, I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers. For the chance to do something special.”
Haliburton authored one of the most clutch postseasons in modern sports history, leading the No. 4 seed Pacers to the NBA Finals with a handful of buzzer-beaters that appeared to become routine at some points during the playoffs.
The guard led the team in minutes played while adding 17.3 points and 8.6 assists per game, defying history throughout the playoffs with clutch shot after shot, including four different go-ahead or game-tying shots in the final five seconds throughout the playoffs, according to NBA.com.
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Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers sustains an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers sustains an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
All of that after a season in which he was continuously knocked by critics and other players around the league. After being named to Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics and only getting to play just 8 minutes during the tournament, Haliburton was then skipped over for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.
Then, perhaps most notably, an anonymous NBA players poll published by The Athletic named Haliburton the league’s “Most Overrated Player.”
“My journey to get to where I am today wasn’t by happenstance, I’ve pushed myself every day to be great. And I will continue to do just that,” Haliburton wrote on Monday evening. “The most important part of this all, is that I’m grateful. I’m grateful for every single experience that’s led me here.”
He concluded by writing, “I’m grateful for all the love from the hoop world. I don’t 'have to' go through this, I get to go through this. I’m grateful for the road that lies ahead. Watch how I come back from this. So, give me some time, I’ll dust myself off and get right back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.”