Hours after the Indiana Pacers announced that Tyrese Haliburton did indeed tear his Achilles in the Pacers’ NBA Finals Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton took to social media to express his emotions following such a devastating turn of events.
Haliburton had surgery Monday, a day after his Pacers fell to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Already dealing with a calf injury, Haliburton was off to a hot start with three made 3-pointers before going down late in the first quarter.
A day later, Haliburton was still in shock and left with a deep feeling of frustration — but not one of regret.
“I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense,” Haliburton wrote.
Here his statement in full:
“Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.
“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. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. 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. It feels good to let this shit out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry.
“At 25, I’ve already learned that God never gives us more than we can handle. I know I’ll come out on the other side of this a better man and a better player. 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. For the chance to do something special.
“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. I don’t doubt for a second that y’all have my back, and I hope you guys know that I have yours. I think Kobe said it best when in this same situation. ‘There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.’ And that’s exactly right. I will do everything in my power to get back right.
“My journey to get to where I am today wasn’t by happenstance, I’ve pushed myself every day to be great. And I will continue to do just that. The most important part of this all, is that I’m grateful. I’m grateful for every single experience that’s led me here. I’m grateful for all the love from the hoop world. I don’t ‘have to’ go through this, I get to go through this. I’m grateful for the road that lies ahead. Watch how I come back from this. So, give me some time, I’ll dust myself off and get right 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.'”
Among the key takeaways here are that Haliburton, who played through a significant calf strain, says he would have chosen to play Game 7 “again and again” and doesn’t regret the decision to do so. He also apologized to the Indiana fans for the injury and not being able to win the title and quoted Kobe Bryant, who also suffered a torn Achilles during his playing career.
Still, Haliburton’s words show just how much a gut punch the injury was to all involved, a sentiment also shared by his teammate Obi Toppin after the game.
Haliburton will likely miss all of the 2025-26 season, an injury that has reverberations around the league.
Watch all your favorite Amazon Prime Video Sports broadcasts live and free. Get access to NFL, NBA, NASCAR, WNBA, and more – all included with your Prime membership!