Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t have a theory about why he and other NBA players have suffered Achilles tendon tears. The Pacers star guard made his first public comments since suffering that injury in Game 7 of the Finals, which is expected to sideline him all of next season, during ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Tuesday.
“I think that there’s like a notion when guys get injured or when this has happened so many times that everybody thinks that they have the answer to why this is happening,” Haliburton said, per an ESPN story. “Everybody thinks we play too many games, we play too many minutes — all those things could be true, but I don’t think that is what’s causing these injuries.”
Haliburton was among three star players in the postseason and seven NBA players overall to go down with serious Achilles injuries during the 2024/25 season. Nuggets rookie DaRon Holmes also sustained an Achilles tear during Summer League last July.
“I don’t think that anybody has necessarily the answer,” Haliburton said. “I think injuries are just bad luck sometimes and that’s just what happened. I think that’s just what happens in sports sometimes.”
As it’s often described, Haliburton felt the sensation of someone kicking him in the back of the leg when the injury occurred and realized immediately what the diagnosis would be. Haliburton had been battling through a calf injury and was devastated that he couldn’t help his team win a championship in the decisive contest against the Thunder.
“I think I was just hurt that I wasn’t going to be out there,” Haliburton said, as relayed by Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I think it was all those emotions coming at once, but I wasn’t thinking about next year or what’s led up to this. All I was thinking about was being in the moment of Game 7 and that happening definitely sucked.”
Haliburton underwent an MRI after Game 5, when the calf injury was constantly on his mind and he scored only four points. He was told by doctors if it were the regular season he would have had to sit out a few weeks. But since it was the Finals, he was determined to play. He was able to pass a calf stress test prior to Game 6.
“After Game 6, I’m like ‘it’s done, it’s gone, adrenaline is going to get to me, I’m going to be good,'” Haliburton said. “I go to Game 7, 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 in the end.”
Haliburton is still in the early stages of his rehab. He’s using a scooter and keeping the leg mostly elevated, so he’s mainly been working on his upper body strength. He looks at next season as a time to heal while remaining a team leader and becoming a de facto assistant coach.
“I haven’t even thought about what the season will call for,” Haliburton said. “I probably won’t be traveling as much early in the year depending on what stage of rehab I’m in. But I still want to be around the guys as much as possible. I think I want to take this time to keep growing my mind for the game. Being around coach (Rick) Carlisle. Sit in on coaches meetings. (President of basketball operations) (Kevin) Pritchard, talking to those guys and helping. I feel like I have a pretty decent basketball mind myself. So I’m just trying to help the guys as best as I can. I’m going to be on the bench as soon as I can walk.”
You can access the video of the interview here.
Because players keep playing hurt so they don’t have to read a bunch of nerds hating on them on social media.
Kevin Durant is that you…
Are you serious? The league put in a rule for MVP voting so players would have to play more lol everyone takes so many days off now
The game is much faster today than it was even a decade ago. Players are required to make rapid changes in direction, which increases the risk of ankle sprains, knee injuries, and other lower-body issues. Modern basketball emphasizes athleticism and explosiveness, whereas in the ’90s, most teams played at a slower pace—methodically dribbling down the court and feeding the ball to the big man in the post.
@chucktoad1 Building on your theory, do think it has something to do with the whole “one-and-done” movement? The longer you stay in college; the more you can work on the fundamentals. With only one year of college, you need to be more athletic to get noticed.
I agree with you Chuck and I wrote a book below explaining why I do. The athletes are different today.
is your book available to purchase?
It’s below and it’s free and it’s worth what you paid for it.
That’s true. Players never played hurt in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. It’s a brand new phenomenon dictated by “nerds.” Mr. Contract knows.
Increased? Has anyone actually run those numbers? It’s an incredibly common injury, it almost always occurs when players come back too fast from a different leg injury, which happens (what feels to me) like 5-10 players a year.
Players are faster and more explosive than ever – that’s what the game required to keep up. It’s no different to the pitcher injury epidemic in baseball. The search for the extra 1% puts stress on the body that eventually will be too much.
Yes, just like Chuck toad mentioned above. The athletes are different today and it’s not just regular dudes playing ball. It’s far superior athletes who put their body under much more duress than 30 years ago. Great point cam
How and why are today’s guys better athletes? Because the game is quicker? That’s a game style thing. Is anyone doing what MJ or Vince did at the combine? What about Shaq? Is Chet or wemby stopping him or getting broken in half. Have you seen Wilt? Are these superior athletes today running the floor and jumping like that guy for his position? Never mind embarrassing Mr Universe, aka the Terminator in the weight room? Quicker game sure, softer too. Maybe they just dont make guys like they use to. This is with load management and all the sports science in the world. Are they heavyweights today better than Ali? I’ve seen and known guys at work who’ve done their achilles and many other injuries. Doesn’t make them some crazy once in a life time athlete. In fact, the opposite. If you’d seen some these guys, the word athlete is the last thing that comes to your mind.
More guys are doing what MJ and Vince did because a great athlete is either drawn to or pushed into sports more today than 50 years ago when everyone who wanted to could play sports.
That’s why athletes are better today. These guys are spotted and recruited into athletics now whereas before great athletes fell through the cracks and became doctors lawyers plumbers electricians waiters bartenders.
Yes, there was only a few MJ’s and Vince Carter’s but today you’ve got a lot more Dominique Wilkins and David Thompson’s. Hell they’re at LA fitness right now playing against me.
In this generation Dad or coach see the hops or the hand eye coordination or the bat speed and push them into the proper channel today. 50 years ago, not as much.
You’re confusing athleticism with skill in basketball. Lots of incredible athletes can’t play basketball at all, and there have been handful of fat people who succeed in basketball(like Glenn Davis). Those are two distinct things.
No one is saying today’s basketball players are better at basketball. They most definitely are more athletic.
Garry just said above players are better today. Not a single centre ever as strong or as quick as Wilt, nobody is running the floor like him, that’s athletatasism. Emabarrasesed Arnold is the weight room. Closest thing is and was shaq. Who also had crazy good feet, soft hands and touch. That’s athletatasism. Nobody has the speed, agility and hang time of MJ, that’s athletatasism. IQ and fundamentals fall into the skill category. Ie Larry and Magic relied on this more. MJ had all of the above.
My intent is to submit that there are MORE athletic players today than before because they are noticed and pushed into the sports world instead of law school.
MJ and Shaq and Wilt Chamberlain were unique and rare. 100%.
But there’s a heck of a lot more David Thompsons today because guys who can fly through the air like that are noticed. Maybe not as much in the past?
So with guys who are faster and guys who are higher in the air and guys perhaps a little more often ultra competitive these days, there’s more injuries. They push it to the max limits. Especially the pitchers.
Apologies if I’m contradicting myself.
Halliburton, KD, and Lillard all played through calf injuries prior to tearing their Achilles.
Three weeks prior to his Achilles tear on May 12, Tatum’s head coach was screaming at him to ‘Get Up!’ from the sidelines in a first round playoff game after a nasty fall on his wrist after a hard foul.
Players are being pushed slightly past the limits of sustainable human performance.
Also noteworthy from a gameplay standpoint – most of these injuries are happening on negative steps by offensive players while attacking long close outs.
Isn’t it possibly as simple as the shoes? Most of the shoes today are low shoes, nothing like the high tops people used to wear. You would think a high top could maybe give more support.
Yes, that makes a lot of sense but the high top protects the ankle so then the knee is the first to give away.
I guess guys would rather have a sprained ankle than a strained knee ligament which would put them out for longer and a tear would be devastating.
Why would he know? Did he major in orthopedics in college? Lol.
What is the article about? Why would he have a clue?
Exactly that. Does hurting his own Achilles give him some special insight into why other folks are being injured?
People always think they are experts after 3 seconds of experience lmao
“Haliburton Not Doctor”
It’s not just Hoops.., look at baseball and the Tommy John’s. Dare I say having Tommy John surgery is almost a normal occurrence for an mlb pitcher !!
It’s hard to say the demands on the NBA players are different now because guys in the 70s and 80s played 80 games without issue.
Perhaps it’s this and let me submit this thought if I may…
Back then it was “dudes playing sports” but now it’s not just dudes because everyone’s playing sports, but the guys that make it to the next level are superior athletes who separate themselves.
Superior athletes in baseball throw the ball harder and have more movement on the pitch, and thus put their body under much more duress.
In the NBA, it’s not just dudes playing ball. It’s superior athletes who separate themselves from the dudes.
Players in the NBA now are higher in the air or faster from the standstill and thus injuries happen, and much more stress on the body than in the 70s or 80s.
It’s the burst that’s abnormal because these are freak athletes, or they are higher in the air before they land than before.
These are my thoughts anyway.
Just think, in the 80s, the Coop a loop was a huge deal. Now alley oops are a normal part of the NBA game.
I know I’m jumping around but in baseball Nolan Ryan throwing 100 miles an hour was a huge deal back n the day.
Now Jordan Hicks throws 100 miles an hour and his ERA is 6.50 lol athletes are just different today and back then there wasn’t as much stress on the bodies. They were just ball players. Today it’s massive stress on the body, and so the injuries are going to be more common.
I hope this makes sense.
Everything you say tracks but to point out one issue is comparing a thrower to a pitcher.
Orthopaedic insight – and not directed at Mr. Haliburton…
Suggest a Google search of Bucks George Karl steroids. Easy to find, with the snapshot being he thought 2/3rds or more of his own players were on performance enhancing steroids. He thought such usage was league wide and was concerned for the players health.
Specifically common among PED usage is an increased risk of Achilles ruptures as tendon strength in the heel can drop by 50% after 4-8 weeks of use; or an intense dosage approach.
Last NBA season there were seven Achilles ruptures, three on the Pacers. It is likely some were from playing through prior injuries, load stress (minutes played) or who knows. BTW, structured PED programs benefit every muscle in the body – including the eyes – and muscle memory as well.
There has been comment that PED usage may be linked to the flury of threes in the NBA…
Halliburton wasn’t even in Kindergarten when Karl coached the Bucks…Relevance. You do realize that they do drug testing…Jeez
it’s so obvious Haliburton is on steroids…i mean there’s no way you get that muscular naturally
You have no idea who you are talking about. He’s rail thin.
Oh shucks, I’m so embarrassed. Thanks for correcting me!! You are so smart! Great work
“There has been comment that PED usage may be linked to the flury of threes in the NBA…”
And people call ME a troll…smh…
i can’t believe Haliburton doesn’t know why! C’mon bruh, you’re a professional basketball player!
With all the analytics and wanting players to be healthy I don’t understand why they don’t reflect this in the NBA schedule. They should make the travel schedule more efficient. What i mean is for instance if they fly to Los Angeles they should play both teams in LA for 4 games straight same if they go to Florida they should play miami and Orlando it may make some road trips a little longer but also lets teams stay at home longer. So if the spurs have to play two games in Houston and two games in dallas and then play both teams at home for two games. They should play those all consecutive allow teams to travel less and have longer stretches in said city. Go to New York play a game, then Brooklyn and then philly. All short drives away. Obviously some places would be different but the flights need to be lessened. Extend the season ending by a week or two and eliminate all back to backs.
The NBA has already implemented those changes. I’m in NY. I see visiting teams will play the Knicks and Nets on the same visit far more than years prior. Then those teams shuffle off to Boston or Philly.
The increase is because we are eating too many chicken sandwiches.