“I mean it’s the NBA Finals. It’s the finals — I’ve worked my whole life to be here. It was not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play,” said Tyrese Haliburton when discussing his injury. After the Indiana Pacers star had sustained right calf tightness during the 1st quarter of Game 5, it was evident that the player needed to rest. However, he was adamant, believing that he would rest once the NBA Finals concluded. While he had the confidence of the coach, too, Haliburton playing major minutes despite the injury was spelling out to be a recipe for disaster. Sure enough, the Titanic hit the Iceberg in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The Indiana Pacers’ point guard had to leave the matchup. That was after appearing to re-injure the same calf that he strained in Game 5. The injury reoccurred after Haliburton reportedly fell on the floor in the 1st quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The way that he pounded the court in what was obvious pain left everyone in a state of worry.

No sooner had they taken Haliburton away than well-wishes started coming in for the player. Renowned Sports Analyst Pat McAfee wrote, “I’m sick @TyHaliburton22, we appreciate the hell out of you man.” Josh Hart simply wrote “Ty 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 (Tyrese Haliburton, not Thank You)”, and his teammate, Jalen Brunson, wrote “Prayers up man 🙏🏽”.

Among the others who reacted to this unfortunate update was Stephen A. Smith—the same Stephen A. Smith who, earlier, had responded to Haliburton’s injury in Game 5 by stating, “[Tyrese] Haliburton has looked awful and I’m glad he’s injured.” He later explained the reason behind his statement, saying, “I’m not trying to be mean or whatever. Just being factual! He looks bad! He was not active. And he was not aggressive. And now that we know he’s not healthy, I totally agree with Big Perk. Sit him down!” Fortunately, the sportscaster was more sympathetic this time around.

Along with others, he immediately took to X and wrote, “Awwwws Damn! @TyHaliburton22 is down. @TyHaliburton22 is down. Awww damn! None of us wants to see this. We don’t want a title decided this way. Especially the way he was playing!!!! Awwwww Damn!!!!!”

Whether it was the excruciating pain or the fact that his absence might cause a major deficiency on the Pacers’ offensive front, Tyrese Haliburton was visibly emotional after sustaining the injury. According to reports, the ESPN broadcast captured him telling the trainer: “I did it.” Haliburton was then carried to the team’s locker room, avoiding any pressure on the injured leg. It didn’t take long for the Pacers to announce that Hali would not be returning.

It had not been confirmed earlier whether the point guard had ruptured his right Achilles tendon. However, that soon became the widely accepted belief among fans and several well-known NBA personalities. This led Isaiah Thomas to write, “Them calf strains are nothing to play with. The next thing if not healed right is always Achilles. Man I feel bad for bro!!” and Donovan Mitchell to express sympathy, writing, “These calf strains ain’t no joke man!! Praying for Ty 🙏🏾🙏🏾.”

Amidst all this, many believed Tyrese Haliburton should not have played in Games 5 and 6 and should’ve rested his leg to avoid such an outcome. However, sportscaster Rachel Nichols disagreed. In fact, she took to X and wrote, “Even if the Hali injury is what we fear it might be, I can’t imagine that Tyrese regrets going out there and playing on that sore calf. Game 7 of the NBA Finals come around almost never; this is a guy who has always been willing to give up his body for the team.”

Emotions ran high amidst the cheers of the OKC crowd at the Paycom Center. The term ‘Hali’ was trending on X, with over 61,900 posts in just a few hours. LeBron James’s simple post—“F–K!!!!!!!! 🤦🏾‍♂️🙏🏾”—was enough to show how most people were feeling. In the middle of all this, fans were eager for an update from someone close to Hali while the game was still underway. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long.

After cameras catch emotional exit, Haliburton’s father shares injury update

As 2:45 minutes remained in the 2nd quarter, ESPN’s Lisa Salters revealed having gotten an update from Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, himself. According to her, “Mr Haliburton confirmed that it is an Achilles Injury, and he said that Tyrese is doing as well as he can be under the circumstances. The entire family is back there. His dad. His brother. He said he seems to be in good spirits, he’s watching the game, and then he’s trying to root on his team back in the locker room”. Tyrese Haliburton’s injury certainly affected John.

The cameras at the Paycom Center were able to visibly capture Haliburton Sr. burying his face in his hand, visibly emotional over his son’s ailment.

John Haliburton has been very supportive of his son throughout the latter’s NBA run. Perhaps too supportive, given that he had generated controversy after taunting Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Indiana Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks. Therefore, that love and support have now transformed into hurt, knowing that even if the Pacers somehow won the NBA championship, his son had to pay the price for his efforts through an Achilles Injury.

The team would certainly feel the absence of a clutch performer like Tyrese Haliburton. Unfortunately, Pascal Siakam and co had to continue carrying the offensive load. And, with any luck, make good use of it.