It still hurts to remember Tyrese Haliburton’s unfortunate injury in the highly anticipated NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which kept fans on the edge of their seats until Game 7 and which many feared would happen.
The Indiana Pacers’ rising playoff star had to leave the stadium in a wheelchair after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in a non-contact play. However, he didn’t feel that way.
Tyrese reveals how he felt at that moment
The two-time NBA All-Star point guard entered Game 7 with discomfort in his right calf since Game 5, so fans feared he would suffer a serious injury if he risked playing.
With less than five minutes left in the first quarter, the heartbreaking scene unfolded: Haliburton collapsed to the floor, clutching his right leg in obvious pain.
Months after his injury and following surgery, he is recovering but could be out for eight months to a year. Meanwhile, during his appearance on Logan Paul‘s “Impaulsive” podcast, he confessed that it wasn’t that painful and that he even thought someone had stepped on him.
People always say you feel like you got kicked in the back of your leg, and that’s what it really feels like. But for a split second, I thought Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] stepped on me. So, I kind of like turned my head and realized, he’s in front of me… and then, for a second, I thought: ‘Did the ref just step on me? Did the ref get in the way?’
Although he was aware of the risks and experiences of other players, Haliburton confessed that he does not regret playing in Game 7.
“I had some close friends and family and mentors in my life who called me after Game 5 and were like, ‘Hey, shut it down,'” said the Indiana star. When the interviewer asked him if he would have liked to follow that advice, he replied: “No, hell no.”
Meanwhile, taking advantage of his free time, Tyrese continues to move forward in other aspects of his life. At the end of July, he borrowed the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena in Indianapolis, where he displays all his talent, to make his girlfriend of six years, Jade Jones, his wife. So when he returns to the court, he will do so as a committed man.
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