Tyrese Haliburton’s road to recovery is still unfolding, but the Indiana Pacers guard is showing steady progress as he eyes a return for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Roughly 33 weeks removed from surgery to repair a torn right Achilles tendon, Haliburton recently dropped a video update that gives fans a glimpse into his rehab journey. The footage shows him moving through individual drills and getting in some halfcourt work-nothing full speed yet, but it’s a clear sign he’s trending in the right direction.
This all stems from a devastating moment during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Haliburton, who had already put up 9 points early in the contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder, went down after a sharp move-no contact, just one of those gut-wrenching injuries that you could tell was serious the second it happened.
He’d been managing a calf issue throughout the playoffs, but this was something else entirely. The diagnosis: a torn right Achilles.
The Pacers confirmed in July that Haliburton would miss the entire 2025-26 season, a major blow for a team that had just made a Finals run with him as their engine. Since then, Haliburton has kept fans in the loop with periodic updates, giving an inside look at the grind of rehab-something NBA players know all too well, especially with an injury as serious as an Achilles tear.
For Haliburton, it’s about more than just getting back on the floor. It’s about returning to the level that made him one of the league’s most dynamic young guards. Before the injury, he was putting up career-best numbers and leading Indiana with a blend of scoring, vision, and leadership that had the Pacers punching above their weight.
Need a reminder of what he’s capable of? Look no further than November 30, 2023, when he dropped a career-high 44 points against the Miami Heat.
Or December 30, 2023, when he dished out a staggering 23 assists against the New York Knicks. This is a player who can take over a game in multiple ways-and who was just starting to scratch the surface of his prime when injury struck.
Off the court, Haliburton’s life has been just as eventful. He announced his engagement to Jade Jones in July 2025. The two met at Iowa State University-he was the star point guard, she was a cheerleader-and their story has been a constant alongside his rise in the league.
Family has always been a big part of Haliburton’s journey. His mom, Brenda, and his dad, John, are regular fixtures at Pacers games.
John Haliburton, in particular, has made headlines of his own-most notably when he had a heated exchange with Giannis Antetokounmpo during the 2025 first-round playoff series against the Bucks. That moment may have drawn some attention, but it also underscored how invested the Haliburton family is in Tyrese’s career.
And for those keeping track of birthdays, Haliburton has one of the more unique ones in the league: February 29, 2000. So technically, he’s only celebrated six actual birthdays-but he’s lived through 25 trips around the sun, and he’s packed a lot of basketball into those years.
The Pacers and their fans will be watching closely as Haliburton continues his rehab. Achilles injuries are no small hurdle, but if anyone has the work ethic and drive to come back strong, it’s Tyrese. His return may still be months away, but the signs so far are promising-and when he does step back onto the court, expect him to pick up right where he left off: leading, creating, and making Indiana a team to watch once again.