Exclusive: Tyrese Haliburton talks injury rehab, Pacers’ struggles, March Madness
Posted on: March 19, 2026, 07:43h.
Last updated on: March 19, 2026, 09:11h.
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- Tyrese Haliburton in “good space” as he rehabs torn Achilles
- Pacers star embraces “live in the moment” mindset after Finals injury
- Haliburton aims to return better than ever and chase NBA title
Tyrese Haliburton may not be playing this season, but he’s in a “good space” mentally and physically.
The 26-year-old guard won’t be making his return to the court until next season due to a torn Achilles he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year. Haliburton was in the midst of one of the greatest individual playoff runs in NBA history, hitting multiple clutch shots and game winners during the Indiana Pacers’ surprising run to the Finals.
Haliburton hit the game winner in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Game 2 of the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers and a clutch jumper to force overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.
“I’m in a good space,” Haliburton told Casino.org in an exclusive interview. “I’m doing well. Rehab is going well, doing a little bit of everything, just getting by. Finding things to keep my mind going. That’s why I wanted to do this partnership with Reese’s and do this bracket challenge. It gives you a little something to look forward to with all the fun that’s in March. But rehab has been going very well.”
Haliburton suffered the injury in the first quarter of Game 7 of a surprisingly tight series against the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers struggled without their All-NBA point guard, eventually losing 103-91. Had he not been injured, the Pacers could have pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history against a team that went 68-14 during the regular season with the league’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Haliburton gives advice to Iowa State players for March Madness
The injury has given Haliburton greater appreciation for being on the court, considering he’s now been out for nearly a full year.
“No question,” Haliburton said. “I think what this has taught me more than anything is just to live in the moment and really enjoy it. That’s kind of what I’ve been talking about with some of these college kids that I’ve talked to about this tournament. Just live in the moment. You don’t know when you get this opportunity again. That’s something that I really value from my run and the year we had last year. “It’s definitely something that I’ve talked to with a couple of guys from Iowa State (his alma mater) about just as they get into this tournament, to really just live in the moment,” Haliburton continued to say.
“Enjoy this moment and have fun with it. Because you never know when it will happen again. I think that’s a big message I would share with anybody going through anything is just to enjoy the moment, enjoy where you are at the time.” Haliburton continued to hammer home having a greater appreciation for living in the moment after suffering the biggest injury of his pro career on the biggest stage of them all.
“Every day I have a greater appreciation,” Haliburton said. “A greater appreciation for every day. A greater appreciation for every game, every moment I get to play. I just don’t want to take any time or anything for granted. No question that’s been on my mind, something I think about all the time. Like I said earlier, I talked to these college kids about it as they get into this tournament — don’t take this for granted, this moment. This is a very special time to be playing basketball. Something I talk about it to people ad nauseam.”
Haliburton: Goal is to be same player ‘and beyond’ post-Achilles
Haliburton isn’t the only star player who is dealing with a serious Achilles injury, with fellow players such as Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard also suffering the same type of injury during last year’s playoffs. Tatum recently made his return from the injury after nearly a full year out and is averaging 20.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game since his season debut. The Boston Celtics have gone 4-1 since his return.
Haliburton said he has talked to both Tatum and Lillard during their rehab journeys.
“Yeah, I’ve talked to everybody,” said Haliburton. “We definitely all talked. We stay in contact.” The Pacers have fallen off in the absence of Haliburton with them being a shell of the team they were when they advanced to the NBA Finals. They currently have the league’s worst record and traded Benedict Mathurin — a key role player from last year — at the trade deadline.
Haliburton said he doesn’t have any clear objectives when he makes his return. The only thing on his mind is to finish the job and win a championship.
“None that I’ve thought through yet,” Haliburton said. “For me, it’s just about coming back and being the best version of myself. As far as giving myself an objective or anything, I haven’t really thought about it. Obviously I want to get exactly back to where I was and beyond. And win a championship of course. I just really want to get back to full health and get back to attacking every day as hard as I can being away from the court.”
Haliburton: Pacers will rebound after ‘tough year’
When asked about his thoughts on the current team struggling, he said it’s about “learning” every day and finishing the season strong. The Pacers are on a 14-game losing streak. “It’s a tough year, but guys are working hard,” Haliburton said. “We’re learning a lot, which is important. Just finish strong. Learn something every day. I think I am. I think these guys are. I know these guys are. Obviously, it’s been a tough year, but I know that it’ll all work out in the end. We just gotta get through the year and keep learning and growing every day. Everything will work itself out.”
Haliburton said the results of this year doesn’t have any impact on how he’s approaching his return to the court.
“The result of our year, if it was good or bad, wouldn’t have done anything for me,” Haliburton said. “Obviously, I want my guys to succeed. It’s important that these guys are learning. We’re growing every day and trying to be the best version of ourselves. But at the end of the day, for me, it’s about getting back to being fully healthy. “Obviously, I want to do all these things. I think anybody who knows me, knows any basketball player, when they get back they want to have as much success as possible. That’s definitely the case with me as well. But I think it ultimately comes down to just getting back on the floor. That’s the most important thing right now. Everything else will take care of itself. But of course, I’m a competitor first.”
When asked who is the best guard in the league and who will be the MVP this season, Haliburton had one answer — the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “Well, Shai’s gonna win MVP again,” said Haliburton. “So there’s your answer for both of those.”
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