Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Opens Up on Achilles Injury Rehab, Jayson Tatum Friendship

Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton is continuing his recovery from a torn Achilles suffered in the 2025 NBA Finals, but he admitted that he's still learning to adjust to the mental hurdles of being sidelined for the entire season.

"I think about it every time I blink," he said of the injury, per The Athletic's Shakeia Taylor. "I think about it all the time."

He added: "I don't know if I'll ever not think about it, but you gotta understand that you've got to move on."

Haliburton now has a full understanding of how isolating injury rehab can be, but he acknowledged that he's still dealing with ups and downs during the recovery process.

"It's been tough," Haliburton said. "Honestly, there've been a lot of good days and a lot of bad days, and I've struggled with it a little bit."

During his time off the court, Haliburton revealed that he's leaned on some of the other players around the league who are also recovering from a torn Achilles, most notably Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and New Orleans Pelicans veteran Dejounte Murray.

"Me and Jayson talk a lot," Haliburton said. "Dejounte has been great for me. We didn't really have that cool of a relationship, it was just an NBA relationship, but Dejounte has checked on me so much since I've gotten hurt. Dejounte's just a solid dude and I appreciate him very much."

While Tatum and Murray have a chance to return this season because they suffered their injuries earlier than Haliburton and are further along in their rehab, the Pacers already ruled out their floor general for the entire year. Indiana has sorely missed Haliburton's presence, ranking last in the Eastern Conference with a 9-31 record.

The Pacers will have to keep getting used to life without Haliburton, and they will be seeking their fourth straight win when they host the Toronto Raptors (24-17) on Wednesday night.