Tyrese Haliburton publicly addressed his season-ending injury on Monday, sharing a raw and emotional message following surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon.
The Indiana Pacers guard posted a photo of himself in a hospital bed on X and wrote, “Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown.”
Haliburton went down early in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder after battling through a right calf strain during the series. He exited the floor just over seven minutes into the decisive game.
“This is how it ends? Makes no sense,” Haliburton wrote. “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 shit sucks.”
The 25-year-old admitted the hardest part isn’t the pain in his foot, but the toll on his mental health.
“My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind,” he continued. “Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this.”
Haliburton emphasized his gratitude despite the setback, referencing his faith and a quote from Kobe Bryant.
“At 25, I’ve already learned that God never gives us more than we can handle… I don’t regret it,” he said. “I’d do it again… to fight for this city and my brothers.”
The All-Star floor general apologized to the Indiana fan base and pledged his commitment to returning stronger.
“Indy, I’m sorry. If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all,” he wrote. “But together we are going to fight like hell to get back to this very spot.”
Haliburton also quoted Bryant’s post-Achilles remarks: “There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn Achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself… and get to work.”
The Pacers star closed his statement by expressing his determination.
“I don’t ‘have to’ go through this, I get to go through this. I’m grateful for the road that lies ahead,” Haliburton said. “Give me some time, I’ll dust myself off and get right back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton.”
He averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 assists across 23 postseason games, helping lead Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.
The expected recovery timeline for an Achilles tear is 9 to 12 months, which could sideline Haliburton for the entire 2025–26 campaign.
Indiana finished fourth in the East with a 50–32 record and led the NBA in assists per game this season.
Haliburton is on a five-year, $260 million extension, with incentives that could bring the total value to $270 million.
