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Tyrese Haliburton Injury Makes Wrong Kind of NBA History for Pacers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 2:05 PM ET

Two-time All-NBA Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton's 2024-25 season ended in absolutely heartbreaking fashion on Sunday night.

The 6-foot-5 Iowa State product, just 25, suffered a non-contact injury early in the first quarter of a Game 7 road NBA Finals clash against the favored Oklahoma City Thunder.

He stayed down for several minutes and had to be helped off the floor.

His father John later suggested that Haliburton had hurt his Achilles tendon, a devastating injury for any player, but especially a guard who depends on his mobility. He could miss most or all of the 2025-26 season recuperating.

Indiana went on to flail offensively without its offensive focal point, and ultimately lost, 103-91. In just seven healthy minutes, Haliburton had already scored nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor (3-of-4 from distance).

As of this writing, the Pacers have yet to confirm the results of their inevitable MRI on Haliburton.

But Rotowire's Dr. Jeff Stotts has suggested that, provided this is an Achilles tear (which, again, his father has claimed it was), this would extend the 2024-25 season's record to eight such injuries, lapping the five incurred in 2014-15.

Haliburton would become the third Pacers player to tear his Achilles this year, joining big men Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman.

If Haliburton did indeed tear his Achilles, that would be the 8th Achilles tear of the season. The previous high was 5 (14-15). The total doesn't include Thanasis Antetokounmpo who tore his in the offseason or prospect Jalon Moore who was injured in a recent pre-draft workout.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) June 23, 2025

Most notably, six-time All-Star Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum and nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard suffered the ailments in prior playoff rounds.

The ailments have especially put a damper on the outlook of the Eastern Conference playoff picture next season, as the best players on each of the conference's last two NBA Finals teams could miss all or at least most of the year, as could the second-best player on a perennial fringe contender.

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

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