Tyrese Haliburton bared his emotions Monday, just over 24 hours after he suffered a devastating injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The Indiana Pacers star took to X to address the fans. He penned several paragraphs sharing both his thought process in the moment, and his feelings of regret over not being able to help the Pacers close out Game 7 with a win. Haliburton also included a photo of him in his hospital bed.
“Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock,” Haliburton wrote. “Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.
“Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to ‘come back stronger.’ What a cliche lol, this s–t sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind. Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this s–t out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry.”
Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense.
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) June 24, 2025
Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the… pic.twitter.com/UyY0iFEp6Z
Haliburton apologized to Pacers fans directly and acknowledged the fan base’s support as he recovers from the injury. He also quoted the late Kobe Bryant, who suffered the same Achilles injury in 2013.
“Indy, I’m sorry. If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all,” Tyrese continued. “But together we are going to fight like hell to get back to this very spot, and get over this hurdle. I don’t doubt for a second that y’all have my back, and I hope you guys know that I have yours. I think Kobe said it best when in this same situation. ‘There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.’ And that’s exactly right. I will do everything in my power to get back right.”
NBA fans, regardless of team affiliation, lamented the injury that robbed Haliburton of a chance at etching his name in NBA Finals history.
After watching the Pacers fall short Monday in a 103-91 Game 7 loss, Haliburton was the first to greet his teammates in the tunnel.
