The Indiana Pacers are struggling this season without Tyrese Haliburton, who has been ruled out for the entire campaign. Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Bad luck has since followed the Pacers, with a ton of injuries in the first month of the new season. Their fanbase needed to hear some good news, and Haliburton provided it in an appearance on the Prime Video broadcast on November 21.
“I feel really good, maybe a little bit ahead (of schedule). I feel good every day. Every day is a different battle. I have good days and bad days, but I feel good overall. I just stay engaged. It’s nice to some sense of normalcy and be with the guys all the time,” Haliburton said, via Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star.
Haliburton is still set to miss the entire season, but it’s great news that he’s ahead of schedule. The Pacers will receive a lot of boosts upon his return next season. They could also have a potential top draft pick since they are currently sitting near the bottom of the NBA standings at 2-14.
Haliburton Received Support From Jayson Tatum
Tyrese Haliburton isn’t the only NBA star who tore his Achilles tendon in last season’s playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard suffered the same fates in the second round and first round of the postseason, respectively.
Speaking to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated back in October, Haliburton shared how Tatum has supported him throughout his recovery. The two stars developed a friendship from their time together as teammates for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Me and Jayson talk pretty often. Probably once every week, once every couple weeks. He’s kind of helped me stay upbeat, especially early. He was a great person for me to talk to and kind of lean on. He’s like six weeks ahead of me… I feel like it’s been kind of nice to have somebody going through the not nice,” Haliburton said.
While Haliburton is set to miss the season, there have been some rumblings about the possibility of Tatum returning toward the end of the campaign. The player even hinted on potentially coming back to play this season in an appearance on TODAY With Jenna and Friends last September.
Haliburton Dunking at Week 17 of Recovery
Just 17 weeks after tearing his right Achilles tendon, Tyrese Haliburton showed off his hops by dunking the ball during a light workout last month. Haliburton isn’t really known for his vertical, but he managed to pull of the slam with ease. He even got a dap from Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle afterward.
While a lot of NBA fans were impressed by Haliburton’s progress, the league appeared to be monitoring his recovery. Just a week after his dunk went viral on social media, the NBA had him drug tested, which he found hilarious.
Haliburton will end up having more than a year to recover from his injury since he suffered it on June 22. The 2025-26 NBA season is expected to begin sometime in October 2026.
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