Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton credited Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum for helping him stay positive through his recovery from a torn right Achilles tendon.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Haliburton detailed how his conversations with Tatum, who suffered a similar injury weeks earlier, have provided perspective and encouragement.
“Well, me and Jayson talk pretty often, probably once every week or every couple weeks,” Haliburton told Sports Illustrated, via HoopsHype. “He’s kind of helped me stay upbeat, especially early. He was like a great person for me to talk to, kind of lean on. He’s like six weeks ahead of me, so everything that he’s doing and has been doing, I have to look forward to.”
Both players sustained right Achilles injuries during the 2025 postseason. Tatum went down during Boston’s second-round series against New York, while Haliburton suffered his tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Haliburton said sharing recovery experiences with Tatum has made the process more manageable. “It’s been kind of nice to have somebody going through the— not nice because I wish neither of us were going through it— but it’s been nice,” he said.
The 25-year-old guard also opened up about the mental challenges he faced last season. “A lot of that stuff early in the year was just mentally—I was in a really bad spot,” Haliburton admitted. “Felt like my body wasn’t 100%, but nobody’s body is ever really 100%. I was coming off the Olympics where I got hurt at the end and didn’t really have a ton of time in training camp.”
He credited the Pacers’ support staff and head coach Rick Carlisle for helping him address his struggles. “It just took me to come out, speak to our sports therapist and Coach Carlisle, and say, ‘Hey, I am not okay,’” Haliburton said. “Like, I know you guys are doing your best to look out for me, but I’m just not okay in life, you know?”
Despite his injury, Haliburton remains focused on returning to the court. The Pacers announced in July that he will miss the entire 2025–26 season, but team officials have expressed optimism about his long-term recovery.
Before his injury, Haliburton was coming off a historic postseason run that included leading Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. His leadership and efficient playmaking had positioned him among the league’s elite guards.
