Brad Stevens knows all too well what the Indiana Pacers are going through when it comes to Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles injury.
And while the Boston Celtics and the Pacers are opponents on the court, the same can’t be said off the court.
Stevens said on Tuesday that he an vice president of basketball operations Mike Zarren have been in touch with Pacers general manager Kevin Pritchard because the Celtics are going through something similar with Jayson Tatum.
“Like, ‘Anything we can do to help let us know, because we’ve been through it,’” Stevens said Tuesday. “Those are hard things to go through, and they’re emotional, but it’s more emotional , and it’s probably more impactful, for how you feel about the player. You hate to see that. You’re not talking as much about the team building yet. But there are moments the next few weeks where you do.”
Haliburton ruptured his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — a game the Pacers eventually lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder — and Prichard confirmed the star guard would miss all of next season.
Tatum suffered the same injury weeks before Haliburton when the Celtics star ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. He had surgery shortly after, and was recently rehabbing in a pool.
It’s likely Tatum will also miss all of next season.
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