In his first appearance as a player contributor on NBA Nightcap on NBA on Prime, Tyrese Haliburton said his recovery from his Achilles tendon tear is going well enough that he could be playing some form of basketball by the end of the month. He’s not going to play an NBA game this season — Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard ruled that out back in July — but Haliburton’s trajectory for the 2026-27 season continues to look promising.
“I’m in a good space,” Haliburton said. “Yesterday was six months for me, so we’re getting there. Things have been going really well. I’m basically doing everything outside of contact right now. Hopefully the goal is by the end of the month that I can start playing one-on-one. It feels like it’s been a long journey but we’re getting there day by day.”
Haliburton was asked how he’s processing the recovery mentally.
“There’s nothing that’s going to test you as a professional athlete like something like this,” Haliburton said. “For me, the biggest thing is just understanding that it takes a village to get through anything. My support staff with the Pacers has been amazing, my family, my fiancee, everyone has been so good for me, helping me having those conversations. I think over the last year, I’ve realized that especially in the space that I’m in, it’s OK to admit that I’m not OK. You know what I mean? Be up front and be real about everything I have going on.”
Haliburton said he’s been in fairly constant contact with Jayson Tatum and Dejounte Murray, who have also been going through Achilles rehab. He has a relationship with Tatum as they both work with the same trainer, Drew Hanlen, but he didn’t have a previous relationship with Murray so he’s been particularly appreciative that Murray has made a point to reach out and check in on him.
Along with his own recovery, Haliburton also talked with NBA Nightcap’s regular panel — Taylor Rooks, John Wall, Blake Griffin, Steve Nash and Udonis Haslem — about the NBA Cup quarterfinals and he talked wrestling with Haslem, as they discussed their favorite WWE personalities.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: When is Tyrese Haliburton coming back? Pacers PG close to playing 1-on-1
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