Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton opens up about recovery from injury

Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton admitted that he is taking small steps forward in his recovery from an Achilles injury.
Very small steps.
“I’m walking now in my boot,” Haliburton said on Saturday while speaking to reporters at the Simple Truth Tyrese Haliburton Pro Camp in Westfield, Ind.
“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.”
Haliburton, 25, will miss the upcoming 2025-26 season after sustaining the injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City.
“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 averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 73 games (all starts) last season and was selected All-NBA third team.
A two-time All-Star, Haliburton has career averages of 17.5 points, 8.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 333 games (294 starts) for the Sacramento Kings (2020-22) and Pacers.