Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Posts After Surgery on Achilles Injury, 'This S--t Sucks'

After a devastating torn Achilles ended his season in the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton shared a message on social media.

Haliburton didn't sugarcoat the pain he's feeling, saying that "the frustration is unfathomable" and "makes no sense." But he also said he plans to come back better and clarified that the injury was worth it for his team "to do something special."

"Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock," he wrote. "Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense. Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to “come back stronger”. What a cliche lol, this shit sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this shit out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry. At 25, I’ve already learned that God never gives us more than we can handle. I know I’ll come out on the other side of this a better man and a better player. And honestly, right now, torn Achilles and all, I don’t regret it. I’d do it again, and again after that, to fight for this city and my brothers. For the chance to do something special. Indy, I’m sorry. If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all. But together we are going to fight like hell to get back to this very spot, and get over this hurdle. I don’t doubt for a second that y’all have my back, and I hope you guys know that I have yours. I think Kobe said it best when in this same situation. “There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.” And that’s exactly right. I will do everything in my power to get back right. My journey to get to where I am today wasn’t by happenstance, I’ve pushed myself every day to be great. And I will continue to do just that. The most important part of this all, is that I’m grateful. I’m grateful for every single experience that’s led me here. I’m grateful for all the love from the hoop world. I don’t “have to” go through this, I get to go through this. I’m grateful for the road that lies ahead. Watch how I come back from this. So, give me some time, I’ll dust myself off and get right back to being the best version of Tyrese Haliburton."

Haliburton went down in the first quarter after a scorching hot start saw him score nine points in just seven minutes. He was helped to the locker room, unable to put weight on his right leg, and his father later confirmed to ESPN's Lisa Salters that he had an Achilles injury. An MRI on Monday revealed a torn Achilles, setting up a long road to recovery for Haliburton.

While his season ended in one of the worst ways imaginable, Haliburton delivered one of the most memorable playoff runs of all time.

In the first round, Haliburton clinched the series against the Milwaukee Bucks with a game-winning layup with just 1.3 seconds to play. That shot proved to be the first of many clutch moments for Haliburton.

In the second round against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he hit a go-ahead three-pointer with just over a second to play to win Game 2. Against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, he had a game-tying jumper that sent Game 1 to overtime, where the Pacers eventually won.

Perhaps his most memorable shot came in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, when he helped spark a 15-point second-half comeback and ultimately won the game with a shot in the final seconds.

Haliburton, voted the NBA's most overrated player by his peers before the playoffs, proved that, if anything, he's underrated. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 assists in the postseason, leading Indiana on an improbable run to the Finals.

Unfortunately, Haliburton and the Pacers fell short of the ultimate goal, and he now has a grueling rehabilitation process ahead of him, but his performance in this year's postseason will be remembered forever.

The good news for Haliburton is that he's just 25 years old and could still have his best years ahead of him. He reached new heights this season, and he'll look to return for more success once he's back on the court.