Tyrese Haliburton had 'minor leg injury' during Olympics

Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton dealt with a “minor leg injury” and underwent an MRI during the Olympics, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Haliburton was essentially Team USA’s 12th man during the Olympics in Paris, which concluded on Sunday. He averaged just 8.8 minutes per game in his three appearances; the Americans went 6-0 to claim the gold medal, so the 24-year-old didn’t play at all in three contests.

Haliburton was hampered during the 2023-2024 season with a hamstring strain he suffered in January. While he ultimately appeared in 69 games and made the All-NBA Third Team, securing an extension worth 30 percent (instead of 25 percent) of the salary cap for the next five years in the process, his effectiveness was diminished post-injury. Haliburton wound up missing his final two postseason games vs. Boston with a hamstring injury as well.

There’s no indication that the leg issue Haliburton was managing during the Olympics is a cause for concern going forward, given Windhorst’s description. Still, it’s a noteworthy event when a player like Haliburton — one of Team USA’s top performers at the 2023 World Cup — undergoes an MRI.