It has been more than a year since Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury, and the Indiana Pacers fell short against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the 2025 Finals.
In an appearance with Boardroom, the Pacers floor general opened up about struggles after his Achilles injury.
“And after I got hurt, I realized how many people have checked on me. Checked on me, like, actually checked on me, how I’m doing. Not just, like, ‘How you doing?’ and keep it pushing. Like, have come and visited me or whatever. That’s what I really value and what I really care about from people that I love, and I respect. That’s what matters to me,” Haliburton said.
Haliburton also shared moments with Kevin Durant, who similarly suffered a tragic Achilles injury in the championship.
“When I got hurt, KD flew to Indy to visit me. He was out there for All-Star, but he came early to come see me. Came to my crib. He was chilling with my dog, throwing the toy with my dog, like, to check on me. I was like, ‘Okay, he’s forever. We forever cool,” he added.
Aside from Durant, former Olympic teammates LeBron James and Stephen Curry also extended themselves to reach out during the recovery process.
“You know, Bron and Steph both called and checked on me. When I got shingles and I said what I was going through, they both called me, checked on me. LeBron, during the Finals, I got so many voice memos from Bron during the Finals, which was like the craziest thing ever. But that’s like the big three to me. So the fact that they show love, I’m like, in the world of basketball, what else matters? You know what I’m saying?” he said.
After not playing for more than a year, the 6-foot-5 guard has been asked about the respect he had around the league.
“I don’t care. As long as my teammates, everybody, as long as they respect me, that matters more to me. And the guys who are like my superheroes to me growing up, KD, Steph, Bron, like, go down the line, I feel like they respect me,” Haliburton added.
The Pacers look forward to his return in the upcoming season, along with their revamped roster.
