Knicks Have a Golden Opportunity After Latest Star Injury

Well, Game 7 of the NBA Finals has come and gone. The Oklahoma City Thunder won their first title since relocating from Seattle in 2008, thanks to a dominant second-half performance led by their historic defense. Indiana gave a valiant effort despite brutal circumstances, but the story of the night was the horrific injury suffered by Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers’ superstar guard tore his right Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7, after deciding to play through a calf strain he suffered earlier in the series. His injury is yet another cautionary tale against playing through tenuous maladies despite the risk of career-threatening injury.

As OKC raised the Larry O’Brien trophy late into the night on Sunday, Indiana was plunged into darkness as an organization. Not only did they lose a winner-take-all Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but they’ve also lost their superstar point guard for at least next season. Basketball fans everywhere should feel for Haliburton, who authored perhaps the greatest clutch playoff run in league history, only to have his moment ripped away in the final game. Unfortunately, Indiana’s outlook has now completely changed.

Knicks Have a Golden Opportunity After Latest Star Injury

As much as we hate to admit it, eras of NBA basketball are often defined by injuries. Which superstars suffer career-altering injuries amid their dominance? Which teams get lucky enough to remain healthy through several consecutive seasons, giving them multiple chances at a title?

Injuries played a huge part in the first half of the 2020s in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 championship, only to have injuries affect their next four playoff runs. The Philadelphia 76ers have lost Joel Embiid for large chunks of several seasons, limiting any chance at contention they might have had. The Boston Celtics stayed remarkably healthy for the first five years of the decade, leading to a title in 2024. Unfortunately, that all ended in 2025, when Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in Game 4 vs. the Knicks.