No one can say that Tyrese Haliburton was a misunderstood player. A player who was out of the loop all season long and returned to his best at the most important time for the team. He became a beacon of hope for a franchise that had failed to win a ring.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander visited and embraced Tyrese Haliburton in the Pacers locker room after the Thunder won Game 7 of the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/Xl2bRoJgpK
- Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 25, 2025
Reggie Miller' s soul was infectious that day at Madison Square Garden. But not just that of such an established figure, everyone who was a fan or was an Indiana Pacers player in the franchise's past was emotionally and spiritually supportive of a player who had been disrespected via social media.
The U.S. substitute
That moment in which the U.S. national basketball team was showing off all its great players at the end of the video, in a corner, yes, a player that many wondered about his presence. Even Haliburton himself was aware that his role would be irrelevant and would translate into very few minutes during the championship.
Pretty unbelievable that you play your whole life, you battle all season, you make all the clutch plays... and you get injured in Game fucking 7 of the NBA Finals after all that... if you don't feel for Tyrese Haliburton you don't have a beating heart
pic.twitter.com/CZs78kxz8B
- John Frascella (Football) (@NFLFrascella) June 23, 2025
The most relevant thing he did alongside Jayson Tatum, a champion in that NBA season, was to bring bottles for his teammates. It was a turning point that he wanted to de-dramatize. In his social networks he posted a photo with the gold medal saying that he felt the same as when you get a 10 in group work and you have not collaborated.
A funny and ironic way of exemplifying that it had not been relevant. Something that Haliburton himself wanted to change in his environment and in the world. So he wanted to try it in the current NBA season. With various injuries in the final months of 2024 he averaged a total of 18 points, 9 assists and 3 rebounds.
Brian Windhorst on Tyrese Haliburton:
"I know that you didn't win this game, I know that you are facing a long recovery. But you did win something: You won over millions of new fans, you won over the respect of everybody in this league."
✊
 pic.twitter.com/JTQYYYNYyGX
- Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) June 25, 2025
The stat line improved quite a bit when he entered the playoffs playing a total of 23 games averaging 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. An average that was maintained with respect to the current season but that exemplified how despite the difficulty of the games in the series played, he continued to maintain his best level.
From 'overrated' to fallen hero
The survey of NBA players on the most overrated players of the season was a dart at players who were being considered better players than they really were in their opinion. This is surprising because they play on par and head-to-head with these selected players.
Tyrese Haliburton shared an update after his injury ❤️ pic.twitter.com/p6y42h2uyG
- ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2025
Story would have been different if Haliburton hadn't been called the MOST overrated player in the entire NBA. Words that were engraved on fire by the entire locker room that wanted to shut mouths in the best way possible, overcoming playoffs in the playoffs.
In the first round they knocked out Giannis Antetokounmpo 's team . The Greek player gave a lesson in humility and after falling in the first round said words that to this day continue to reverberate in the walls of the Indiana Pacers locker room with the actions of Tyrese's father, "in victories and defeats you have to know how to win and know how to lose in a humble way". This was said by the 2 times regular season MVP and Finals MVP who has achieved a feat with his franchise, Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 against Phoenix Suns.
What an incredible playoff run for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers 🏁
Unforgettable comebacks and heart-stopping moments 👏 pic.twitter.com/05ztigb1YJ
- ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025
Overcoming this round placed them as the next victims of Cleveland Cavaliers. The team had the same percentage as the New Orleans Pelicans at the start of the season of making the Finals and this was piling on the feed of the Rick Carlyle machine.
An unexpected 4-2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers depleted by various injuries to key franchise players put them in the picture of being a possible finalist. In every round they have managed to steal home-court advantage in Game 1.
Fuente:
Source: Indiana Pacers
Something unique and unprecedented that gave them as possible favorites until their very close series with New York Knicks that succumbed in 6 games. Their next opponent was the favorite to win the ring and that only one team had tickled them with injured players as it was Denver Nuggets.
Haliburton's tear sinks the team
In the fifth game the official media of Indiana Pacers had confirmed a tear in the left calf of Tyrese Haliburton. Several professionals warned him with prior knowledge of the danger he would be in if he risked his physicality in such a competitive series.
"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."🫶
Tyrese Haliburton shares his thoughts following a successful surgery on his torn right Achilles tendon 🙏
(via @TyHaliburton22) pic.twitter.com/105kFisOK2
- Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 24, 2025
Game 6 was a real drubbing of the Oklahoma City Thunder when few were confident in the team's ability to make it to a Game 7. But everything was on track to show the entire NBA universe that they didn't need to be favorites to pull off an important victory.
But halfway through the first quarter and 3-of-4 on three-pointers at the start of a historic Game 7 performance, his Achilles' heel gave out. As much as his heart urged him to continue to risk his physicality and push it to the limit, his body brought him to reality .
"Tyrese Haliburton."
Because this is what the exact moment the player suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the #NBAFinals final looks like pic.twitter.com/gE24C0wWWW3
- Sports Trends (@TendenciasDepor) June 23, 2025
Forcing the machine in the face of the opportunity of a lifetime, in the biggest game of his life. An injury that silenced the entire stadium and has even put in doubt the victory of the champion, Oklahoma City Thunder.
The whole team collapsed because of the fall of their leader. Although they reached halftime on top of the scoreboard, everything was falling on the side of the locals who ended up celebrating their first ring after a masterful performance in the season with a total of 58 games.
Falling down to come back stronger
"Man. I don't know how to explain it except in shock. There are no words to express the pain of this disappointment. The frustration is unfathomable. I've worked my whole life to get to this moment, and this is how it ends? It makes no sense.
Now that I've had surgery, I wish I could count the times I've been told that "I'll come back stronger." How cliché, haha, this is horrible. My foot feels like dead weight. But what hurts the most, I think, is my mind. I feel like I'm rambling, but I know I'll look back on this when I get over it as something I'm proud to have fought for. It feels good to be able to blurt this out without everyone seeing the ugly boy cry.
At 25, I've already learned that God never gives us more than we can handle. I know I will come out of this a better man and a better player. And honestly, right now, torn Achilles tendon and all, I have no regrets. I would do it again, and again later, to fight for this city and for my brothers. For the chance to do something special.
Indy, I'm sorry. If there's one fan that doesn't deserve this, it's you. But together we are going to fight with all our might to get back to this point and overcome this obstacle. I don't doubt for a second that you support me, and I hope you know that I support you. I think Kobe said it best when he was in this same situation, "There are much bigger problems/challenges in the world than a torn Achilles tendon. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, drive and conviction you always have." And it's absolutely true. I will do everything I can to get back on track.
My path to get to where I am today was not by chance; I have strived every day to be great. And I will continue to do so. The most important thing about all of this is that I am grateful. I am thankful for every experience that has brought me this far. I'm thankful for all the love from the basketball world. I don't have to go through this, I can go through this. I'm thankful for the road ahead of me. Watch me bounce back from this. So, give me time, I'll dust myself off and get back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.
-0
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
The message left on his social networks by the player shelling out his greatest feelings in the last hours upon seeing everything he has fought for for so long vanish from one moment to the next. But this is the dark side of glory, where one always wins and another is left at the gates.
It is the hardest way to see how your dreams will not be fulfilled even if you have given everything you have. But the player conveys that this is not the end, it is the beginning of something great and thus makes it clear that he will return stronger than ever to continue dreaming for the future of his franchise and be even more of a leader fighting to give a ring to Indiana Pacers.