Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton offered a brief update on his injury recovery in a session with reporters on Saturday, according to Field Level Media (story via Reuters). The two-time All-Star is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, which he suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“I’m walking now in my boot,” Haliburton said. “Getting closer to walking full time in my shoe. So, that’s exciting for me. It’s kind of like a new benchmark, a new achievement for me. … Just being able to walk, it’s like the small wins right now. Just taking it a day at a time. I have good days, bad days.”
The 25-year-old said he’s trying not to be impatient with the recovery process since he knows he’ll miss the entire 2025/26 season.
“I obviously want to be good tomorrow but I know it takes time,” Haliburton said. “The team has already ruled me out for the year, so I’m in no rush. It’s just about getting 100 percent, not necessarily as fast as I can, but getting 100 percent is important. I don’t want to come back and be 85, 90 percent. I want to be able to come back at 100, so I’m just taking my time through that.”
Haliburton also said he and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark have been supporting each other as they both battle injuries, writes Joshua Heron of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link). The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft has missed the Fever’s past 14 games with a groin injury and has battled soft-tissue issues throughout the season.
“It sucks that she’s been hurt for as long as she has. But just for us to be able to communicate even in our recovery, we lift at the same time, so it’s just us two in the weight room,” Haliburton told reporters. “We spend a lot of time together. It’s good to have each other to lean on in a time like right now.”