Haliburton’s Take on Achilles Injuries in the NBA
Tyrese Haliburton has shared his perspective on the increase in Achilles tendon injuries observed in the NBA during the past season. The basketball player, currently recovering from a similar injury, believes that bad luck is a determining factor in these cases. Haliburton suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon at the beginning of the seventh game of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder team. This injury made him the third player to suffer this type of injury during the playoffs and the seventh of the season.The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, has also expressed that he does not consider the number of games or the amount of minutes to be the main factors causing these injuries. Silver pointed out that most Achilles injuries occur in the first half of the season.“I think there’s an idea when players get hurt or when this has happened so many times, that everyone thinks they have the answer as to why this is happening,” Haliburton commented. “Everyone thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes; all those things could be true, but I don’t think that’s what’s causing these injuries.”
Tyrese Haliburton
Haliburton suffered the injury to his right Achilles tendon while playing with a calf strain, which was officially diagnosed after the fifth game, although he was seen limping from the second game. Despite having passed a stress test on his calf before the sixth game, which allowed him to play, Haliburton claimed to feel fine before the seventh game. “After the sixth game, I thought ‘that’s it, it’s over, the adrenaline will make me feel good’,” Haliburton said. “I get to the seventh game, I feel nothing. I feel great going into the game. I think that’s why I had a great start to the game. My body felt great. Then, obviously, that happens at the end.” A month after surgery, Haliburton is still using a scooter. The Pacers have already ruled him out for the entire upcoming season. The player has spoken with Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, who also suffered Achilles tendon injuries. The Pacers’ point guard aims to make the most of the time until his expected return in the 2026-27 season. “I want to use this time to continue to grow my mind for the game. Be around coach [Rick] Carlisle. Attend coaches’ meetings. Talk to [Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin] Pritchard and help out. I feel like I have a pretty decent mind for basketball. So I’m just trying to help the guys as best I can. I’ll be on the bench as soon as I can walk,” he concluded.“So I don’t think anyone necessarily has the answer. I think injuries are sometimes just bad luck and that’s what happened. I think that’s what happens in sports sometimes,” Haliburton added.
Tyrese Haliburton
