Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers didn’t just make a playoff run last season - they authored one of the most improbable, inspiring postseason stories in recent NBA memory. What started as a promising campaign for a No. 4 seed turned into a full-blown Cinderella surge to the NBA Finals, with Haliburton at the heart of it all.
Let’s be real: no one outside of Indiana saw this coming. The Pacers were underdogs from the jump.
Most expected them to bow out in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks. They didn’t.
Then came the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers - a team many believed would steamroll Indiana. Not only did the Pacers win, they did it convincingly.
And when the New York Knicks - still stinging from their playoff exit the year before - looked poised for revenge in the Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana shut that door, too.
By the time they reached the Finals, the Pacers had already flipped the script on what the basketball world thought they were capable of. And even though they ultimately fell short against the Oklahoma City Thunder - a team that posted the league’s best record and boasted a historically elite defense - the way it ended had more to do with heartbreak than failure.
Game 7 of the Finals will be remembered for Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles tear - a devastating injury that turned what could’ve been a storybook ending into a gut punch. But what stood out, even in that moment, was the way Haliburton laid it all on the line. He gave everything he had - literally - to try and bring a title to Indiana.
And that didn’t go unnoticed.
LeBron James, speaking on the Mind the Game podcast, had high praise for what Haliburton accomplished - not just in terms of stats or wins, but in the way he changed the conversation around himself and his team.
"That was a big-time run," James said. "Legacy and all that - I think you did that even with y’all losing.
… Everything that you would have got with winning it, you got with losing. The only thing you didn’t get is the ring."
That’s powerful coming from someone who knows a thing or two about legacy and Finals heartbreak. Haliburton’s performance - especially in that final stretch - was a statement. It was about leadership, toughness, and the kind of commitment that resonates across locker rooms and front offices league-wide.
And here’s the thing: the story isn’t over.
With Haliburton expected to return, the Pacers are positioned to pick up right where they left off. This team has built something special - a unique, high-octane offense that’s as tough to guard as it is fun to watch.
Their system, built around pace, movement, and Haliburton’s elite playmaking, turned heads all season. And it’s not going anywhere.
Add to that a front office that’s been aggressive and smart - including the recent acquisition of Ivica Zubac, who brings size, rebounding, and interior defense - and you’ve got a roster that’s even more complete than it was a year ago. The coaching staff has proven it can make adjustments on the fly and get the most out of its personnel. And in a wide-open Eastern Conference, there’s no reason to think Indiana can’t make another deep run.
The Pacers aren't a flash-in-the-pan success story - they’re a team on the rise, with a franchise cornerstone in Haliburton, a system that works, and a belief that they belong on the league’s biggest stage.
2025 was magical. But 2026? It might just be unfinished business.