Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton Provides Exciting Injury Update: ‘I Feel Like I Do A Million Calf Raises’

Jun 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA: Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) drives to the basket past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the fourth quarter in game five of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Two-time All-NBA Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has supplied an exciting update on his surgically repaired Achilles tendon.

The 25-year-old Iowa State product tore the Achilles in the opening quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals this past June, ultimately dooming the Pacers to a defeat at the hands of the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder.

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Haliburton recently popped onto ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" to reveal that he is finally, fully done with his walking boot.

"We're out of the boot now which is nice..

I feel like I do a million calf raises a day but we're getting there" ~ @TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/or6xUotUrr

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 9, 2025

"I'm good. I'm on to shoes now, so we're out of the boot, which is nice," Haliburton said. "I feel like I do a million calf raises a day but we're getting there, bro."

Haliburton is one of three then-Eastern Conference All-Star players who tore their Achilles during the playoffs, along with six-time All-Star Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum and nine-time All-Star then-Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard was later stretched and waived by the Bucks, and wound up signing a three-year deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Changing Tides in the Eastern Conference

The anticipated absences of Haliburton and Tatum in the East has totally transformed the conference's playoff picture, and changed the thinking of their respective squads.

Indiana subsequently lost 3-and-D starting center Myles Turner to the Bucks, and appears poised to replace him piecemeal, using some combination of new trade acquisition Jay Huff, re-signed big men Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman, and potentially backup Tony Bradley, whose contract is only partially guaranteed until January 10.

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The Celtics traded away two of their championship starters, let one reserve free agent center walk and appear set to allow the other to follow suit, and even traded a minimum-salaried point guard all to duck below the league's second luxury tax apron. Their frontcourt is now a mess, full of career journeymen and unproven young pieces.

For the Pacers, Indiana will seek to replace Haliburton a bit piecemeal, too. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle will move Andrew Nembhard over to the starting point guard role, and will promote Bennedict Mathurin from a bench gig to replace Nembhard at the two-guard spot. Reserve T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard could be in line for more minutes.

For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.