Tyrese Haliburton Says Doctors Weren't Concerned About Achilles After Calf Injury
Before Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles in the NBA Finals, he was dealing with a calf strain that many believe led to the injury.
On the IMPAULSIVE podcast, Haliburton said that the doctors he met with weren't concerned about his Achilles following the calf strain.
"I got an MRI after Game 2, I got an MRI after Game 5," Haliburton said (10:00 mark). "I met with doctors, specialists, way smarter than me, both times. And both times they were like, 'We are not concerned about your Achilles. There's no way for us to tell you that this could happen. We could tell you that, hey, there's some swelling around the area.' But when I tore it, I said to the doctors, 'Are you surprised that I tore it?' They were like, 'Yes, I am surprised. Like I didn't think this was going to happen.'"
Haliburton clarified that had it been the regular season, doctors would have recommended that he sit out two to three weeks, but he wasn't willing to do that in the Finals.
Haliburton was understandably cautious about playing with the calf strain, and he said he reached out to Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals, for advice.
"I called KD after I got my MRI from Game 5, and I said, 'Bro, do you regret playing in the game you tore it?'" Haliburton said. "He was like, 'No, not at all.'"
Haliburton briefly missed time because of his hurt calf in Game 5, but with an elimination game ahead in Game 6, he made it clear it would take a lot to keep him off the court.
"I mean, it's the NBA Finals," he told reporters after Game 5. "It's the Finals—I've worked my whole life to be here. It was not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play."
He ultimately helped will the Pacers to a Game 7, but played just seven minutes before suffering a torn Achilles.
While Haliburton's postseason didn't end on a positive note, he put together one of the most memorable playoff runs in recent memory. In just his second playoff appearance, he averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. The 25-year-old also hit clutch shot after clutch shot, leading Indiana to some inconceivable comebacks.
Unfortunately, Haliburton has a long road to recovery ahead of him and will likely miss the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign, but the young star is only entering his prime and should have the Pacers competing for championships for years to come.
