The Indiana Pacers’ brutal 2025–26 NBA season finally came to a merciful end on Sunday.
But before the Pacers’ final game of the campaign against the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Tyrese Haliburton issued a hopeful message to Indiana fans.
Addressing the crowd while wearing sunglasses and an Indiana jacket, Haliburton told Pacers supporters to be ready for better basketball in the near future.
“Don’t get used to the Pacers not playing in April, May and June,” Haliburton said. “Go Pacers.”
However, several fans online focused more on Haliburton’s physical appearance than his message.
he looks like tyrese haliburton if he ate tyrese haliburton 🤣🤣
— Fitzy (@FitzyBF) April 13, 2026
Long time no see Mr.Halifat
— Ariguun D (@AriguunD) April 13, 2026
Tyrese haliburgers pic.twitter.com/LTbCklBrrj
— ferchzz (@jseeeg_) April 13, 2026
Haliburton, please put down the cheesecakes..
— Luka (@ukiyocarter) April 12, 2026
Haliburton been having some haliburgers
— Cortney (@No_Chainz) April 13, 2026
Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 campaign to recover from a devastating Achilles injury that he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That prevented him from practicing with the Pacers for a long time, let alone from playing a regular-season game.
The former Iowa Cyclones star averaged 19.4 points, 10.0 assists and shot 47.5% from the field in the previous two seasons.
With a healthy Haliburton in the 2026-27 season, the Pacers hope to become a force in the Eastern Conference again. They reached the conference finals in 2024 before appearing in the NBA Finals the following year, their first trip to the NBA championship series since the Larry Bird-coached 1999-00 team.
