It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 7 lasted just seven minutes.
In the decisive match of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers’ star point guard planted his foot on the ground at the three-point line as he gathered speed for a drive to the backboard.
But as opposed to the three baskets he had already sunk in the early stages of the game, the 25-year-old collapsed to the floor, clutching at his right leg.
Playing on an already strained right calf, Haliburton feared the worst. Replays and an MRI later confirmed the severity of his injury: a torn Achilles tendon.
And just like that, the Pacers’ storybook ending came to a crashing close.
It wasn’t one filled with glory, confetti, and champagne, but rather a heart-wrenching Finals defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 103-91.
And adding to the crushing Game 7 loss was the fact that the team’s top player suffered a gruesome injury that will likely see him miss most—if not all—of next season.
Following surgery, Haliburton took to social media to share his thoughts on his injury and a season that finished 41 minutes too soon.
“Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock,” he began in a lengthy Twitter post. “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.”
“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.”
“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. 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.’”
Haliburton’s message was met with great respect and consolation from friends, family, and his peers across the league. But even before the photo and Tweet went live, messages of support came pouring in.
Thunder star and regular season/NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander immediately addressed the situation in his post-game celebratory media conference.
“My heart dropped for him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said when asked what he had said when he went up to Haliburton laying in pain on the court. “I couldn’t imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate, it’s not fair. The competition isn’t fair sometimes. I just felt so bad for him. And just asked if he was okay. Obviously, he wasn’t, but prayers go out to him for sure. Hell of a player. The future is bright. That team is going to be really good for a long time. Impressive team, impressive player, I wish him the best of luck.”
Although not wanting anyone to feel sorry for him, Haliburton will have a lot of time to himself this offseason as he begins what is expected to be a gruelling recovery. An item he will surely have at his side will be his copy of the Bible—one of 10 objects that he said last year he couldn’t live without.
“Over the last two years, my religion has become very important in my life,” Haliburton said in a video interview with GQ. “Just understanding that I’m made in the image of God, in a world where you have a bad game and they’re killing you on social media, or confidence goes up and down, I can always come right here. This is my peace.”
Serving alongside teammate Pascal Siakam as a consistent member of the Pacers’ pre-game chapel group, Haliburton still finds a way to worship even while on the road or living a lifestyle much different than that of most 25-year-olds.
“Growing up, we didn’t go to church a lot, but we understood God’s place in our lives,” Haliburton told NBA.com last year. “Now that I’m an adult I guess—I own a house now and live on my own—I go to church on Sunday every chance I can. I go to chapel before games.”
A two-time NBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist with Team USA, the 6-foot-5, 185-pound point guard averages a .477 field goal percentage, a .392 three-point shooting percentage, and a 17.5 points/8.8 assists per game average over his 333-game NBA career.
He will look to get back on his feet for the 2026-27 season.
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