Tyrese Haliburton (Image Credits: Imagn)

Tyrese Haliburton Gets Real About 'Awful' Recovery Struggle From Shingles

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Debmallya Chakraborty | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 10:37 AM ET

Last year, around this time, Tyrese Haliburton was making the headlines for the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, following a brutal injury that kept him out of the NBA title, the Pacers’ star is still sidelined. And while the likes of Ivica Zubac have called him one of the best, the health concerns surrounding Haliburton do not seem to be going away.

In an update back in February, head coach Rick Carlisle pointed out that the 26-year-old was suffering from shingles. As Carlisle assured the fans that he would be making a full recovery, the suffering that the NBA star had to go through was quite painful. In an episode of ‘NBA on Prime,’ the Wisconsin native gave a detailed account of how exactly it felt.

“It has been so awful. And you can see I’m kind of missing, like, part of my eyebrow now. So, it’s, it has been, it’s been no fun. I thought that was a style choice,” said Haliburton.

"It has been so awful."

Tyrese Haliburton recounts how tough it was to recover from shingles. pic.twitter.com/BZa1hEaUXS
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) March 28, 2026

According to the Pacers’ star’s narrative, the situation appeared first when he was on his vacation. Within the first couple of days, the 2020 12th overall pick felt a sharp headache. Trying to fight it off as a migraine, the 2-time NBA All-Star flew back to Indiana for a checkup. And as soon as the doctor glanced at his condition, he knew that it was shingles. Meanwhile, before he caught up with shingles, Haliburton had exciting news for his fans.

Will We See Tyrese Haliburton Back This Season?

Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals came as a nightmare for Haliburton. Not only did his team suffer a heartbreaking loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he also went out of the next season with an ACL injury. However, this year, following a steady rehab, the 26-year-old is feeling a lot better than before.

Updating fans about his injury, Haliburton said back in early February, “I don’t feel a pressure or anything to come back and play right now. I feel really good, I’m in a really good space. Just started playing like three-on-three, four-on-four. I’m getting there slowly.”

Tyrese Haliburton on his rehab:

"I don't feel a pressure or anything to come back and play right now. I feel really good, I'm in a really good space. Just started playing like 3 on 3, 4 on 4. I'm getting there slowly" pic.twitter.com/OvoGyvrB7o
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 8, 2026

After such a statement, hopes of a possible return rose significantly. But now, as the star point guard is recovering from shingles, the probability of him coming back this season looks unlikely.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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