The Indiana Pacers made an improbable run to the 2025 NBA Finals before losing in Game 7 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Early in the game, Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury, in which he did not return. He is expected to be out for all of next season.
Just over 24 hours after suffering the injury, Haliburton posted an update on X, in which he shared a message along with a picture of him in the hospital after the operation to repair the tendon.
“Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable,” Haliburton wrote. “I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.”
Haliburton had suffered a calf injury earlier in the series before subsequently tearing his Achilles. The same incident happened to Kevin Durant in the 2019 NBA Finals after his return from a calf injury was cut short due to an Achilles tear.
Haliburton’s Message After Surgery
Haliburton made the bold statement that he would ‘do it again’, by choosing to play on the calf injury in hopes of bringing Indiana their first NBA title.
“And honestly, right now, torn Achilles and all, I don’t regret it,” Haliburton wrote. “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 reiterated that looking back at the decision, he was ‘proud‘ that he chose to play, even with the risk it carried. In his post, he maintained that while he still wasn’t able to comprehend fully the scope of the injury, he would return from the setback as ‘a better man and a better player.’
“My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind,” Haliburton wrote. “Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through.”
He also gave a heartfelt apology to Pacers fans, saying that he would come back strong from the injury and that it would help him turn into a better player in the future.
“Indy, I’m sorry. If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all. But together we are going to fight like hell to get back to this very spot, and get over this hurdle,” Haliburton wrote. “I don’t doubt for a second that y’all have my back, and I hope you guys know that I have yours.”
Haliburton joined Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard as the third player to tear his Achilles in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Indiana Next Season Without Haliburton
After the loss in Game 7 of the Finals, Indiana heads into a crucial offseason. During the Finals series, they traded away their 23rd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers also have multiple players entering free agency or beginning the final year of their current contracts.
Notably, resigning Myles Turner remains a key priority for the Pacers this summer. The center ranks as their longest-tenured player and will enter free agency after making nearly $20 million this season.
Benedict Mathurin and Thomas Byrant will enter the last year of their current deals, and the Pacers could either extend or trade them in hopes of landing a replacement for Haliburton.
Indiana was expected to pay the luxury tax next season in hopes of making another deep playoff run. However, without Haliburton, the team now faces an uncertain path; either continuing to build a championship contender or waiting for their star guard to return healthy next season.
Regardless of the moves they make, missing Haliburton will be a massive blow to a Pacers team that had one of the most unlikely yet thrilling playoff runs to the Finals. Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.3 assists in 73 regular season games. He led all players in assists during the postseason and was the Pacers’ second-leading scorer in their 23 playoff games.
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