SGA Getting Praised For What He Did After Tyrese Haliburton Injury

Haliburton had to exit the game and his father, John Haliburton, confirmed that he had suffered an Achilles tendon injury — the same fate as NBA stars Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum in this year's playoffs.

At that moment, the spotlight shifted to the Thunder's brightest star, 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and his reaction showed why he is one of the faces of the league.

Before Haliburton's teammates formed a wall around him to shield him from the cameras, Gilgeous-Alexander was the first Thunder player seen going over to check on the injured Pacers star.

SGA was on the scene immediately, as he was defending Haliburton when he went down initially.

"SGA trying to comfort Tyrese Haliburton following his injury," praised an X user. "Great sportsmanship, Shai."

"Respect for sga earned," said another.

"I’m obviously a troll on here but respect to SGA for checking on Haliburton," one passionate fan conceded.

"@shaiglalex is the face of the @NBA. He’s such a class act and deserves all the flowers he has gotten!" praised a fan. "@okcthunder are gonna be good for a long long time!"

If the Thunder hang on to win, Gilgeous-Alexander is a favorite to be named 2025 NBA Finals MVP. Entering Game 7, he led all players in the series (183 points) and the entire 2025 playoffs in scoring (659 points). 

His regular season averages this year are 32.7 points per game, 5.0 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. 

He put together one of the most impressive individual seasons in NBA history for Oklahoma City, and in a pivotal moment on the biggest stage, it did not compromise his character.