Tyrese Haliburton undergoes Achilles surgery, writes to fans: 'I don’t regret it. I’d do it again.'
Haliburton’s season ended in heartbreak, but the Pacers guard says he has no regrets about pushing to play in Game 7.
Less than 24 hours after his right leg gave out and he collapsed to the floor in pain, Tyrese Haliburton underwent surgery Monday evening — June 23, 2025 — to repair a torn right Achilles tendon.
The Indiana Pacers guard returned to Indianapolis on the team charter late Sunday, following their Game 7 loss to the OKC Thunder in the NBA Finals.
But what made the defeat sting even more was the fact that Haliburton physically couldn’t be out there after going down with 4:55 left in the first quarter.
He had already made 3 of 4 3-pointers in the first seven minutes before his weakened right calf and Achilles gave out.
Associate head athletic trainer Carl Eaton — who has been by Haliburton’s side through several injuries, including a right calf strain — and veteran James Johnson put their arms around him and helped him back to the locker room.
But first, the team surrounded him on the court.
Haliburton couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg after the tendon ruptured.
He watched the rest of the game from the locker room inside Paycom Center.
“All of our hearts dropped,” head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “But he will be back.
“He authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play. It was just something that no one's ever seen and did it as 1 of 17 (players). That’s the beautiful thing about him. As great a player as he is, it's always a team thing.
“And so, our hearts go out to him.”
After the game, Haliburton left the arena on two crutches and with his right foot in a boot. He was with his agent, along with team physician Dr. Troy Roberson.
By Monday afternoon, Haliburton was in New York City for surgery performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley, a renowned foot and ankle specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
Dr. O’Malley has now operated on three Pacers players for Achilles injuries this season: James Wiseman, Isaiah Jackson, and now Haliburton. He also performed Edmond Sumner’s surgery in 2021 — as well as the same procedure for Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Breanna Stewart, and many more elite athletes.
Like Tatum, Haliburton had surgery within 24 hours — a benefit both for his body and his recovery timeline.
Rehabilitation is already underway.
I spoke with Dr. Casey Humbyrd, chief of the foot and ankle division of orthopedic surgery at Penn Medicine, after Wiseman’s injury on opening night, to better understand the recovery process.
“Our goal with Achilles tendon and what our lab and research is focused on is how quickly can we aggressively get people back,” he explained. “What's the ideal boot to get early weight-bearing? And so everything's about trying to strengthen the tendon without stretching it.”
Haliburton, 25, also has age on his side.
After deleting social media applications from his phone during the NBA Finals, he downloaded them again — then shared his thoughts late Monday, presumably after surgery.
Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. 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.
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Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
While the Pacers have not officially ruled him out, Haliburton is unlikely to return during the 2025–26 season. That means the front office will need to add another point guard this offseason — and more will be expected from both Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell in his absence.
It’s a quick turnaround for the basketball operations staff. The two-day NBA Draft begins Wednesday, followed immediately by the start of free agency, and then Summer League in Las Vegas.
By mid-July, the front office and coaching staff can finally exhale — and begin a much-needed offseason break.