Haliburton Faces Lengthy Recovery Following Achilles Surgery

INDIANAPOLIS: Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers guard, has undergone a surgical procedure to repair a torn right Achilles tendon. The injury occurred during the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center, as confirmed by the team on Monday.

The recovery is projected to be extensive, potentially sidelining Haliburton for the entirety of the upcoming season.

The All-NBA player required assistance to leave the court, clearly suffering during the first quarter of the game.

Following his surgery, Haliburton conveyed an emotional message via social media.

Haliburton’s Message

“It is difficult to express the disappointment I feel. The level of frustration is hard to imagine. I’ve dedicated my life to reaching this point, and to have it end like this? It’s incomprehensible.
I am confident that I will emerge from this experience stronger, both as a person and as an athlete. Despite the circumstances, even with the torn Achilles, I have no regrets. I would go through it all again, and again, to represent this city and stand with my teammates, for the chance to achieve something remarkable,” Haliburton stated.

Typically, basketball players with a torn Achilles tendon require a recovery period of approximately eight to ten months.

Haliburton had previously been managing a strained right calf, believed to have been sustained during Indiana’s Game five defeat to Oklahoma City.

Without their key guard, the Pacers were outscored 56–43 in the latter half of the game, leading to Oklahoma City securing the championship with a 103–91 victory.

Before his exit, the two-time All-Star accumulated nine points, including three successful three-pointers. Throughout the NBA Finals, he averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds.

Fellow All-Stars Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics are also recovering from Achilles injuries sustained during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.