Tyrese Haliburton has shared his thoughts on the rise in Achilles injuries across the NBA last season, saying he believes the trend is largely down to bad luck rather than overwork.
Haliburton is recovering from his own Achilles tear, which he suffered early in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was the third player to suffer the same injury in the playoffs and the seventh overall during the season.
Speaking on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday in his first public appearance since the injury, Haliburton said, “I think when guys get injured, everybody thinks they know the reason. People say we play too many games or too many minutes. All those things could be true, but I don’t think that is what is causing these injuries.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver echoed that sentiment earlier this summer, telling ESPN that most Achilles injuries happen early in the season and are not tied to the length of the campaign or players’ workloads.
Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles while playing on a calf strain diagnosed after Game 5, said he felt fine going into the deciding game despite some earlier discomfort.
“After Game 6, I thought the calf was sorted. Adrenaline was going to carry me. I felt nothing in Game 7, had a great start, then it just went at the end,” he explained.
Now a month removed from surgery, Haliburton is still using a scooter to get around. The Indiana Pacers have confirmed he will miss the entire 2025-26 season, with his return expected in 2026-27.
In the meantime, the All-Star guard plans to stay close to the game. “I want to grow my mind for basketball. Be around coach Rick Carlisle, sit in on coaches’ meetings, talk with Kevin Pritchard. I think I have a good basketball mind, so I want to help the guys however I can. I will be on the bench as soon as I can walk,” Haliburton said.
He has also been in contact with Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles during the 2019 NBA Finals, and Jayson Tatum, who suffered the same injury shortly before him.
Photo: Justin Ford/Getty Images
