Tyrese Haliburton revealed what Kevin Durant told him, which encouraged him to return to the NBA Finals after his Game 5 calf injury.
The Indiana Pacers star tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, seeing the Thunder win the NBA championship for the first time as an organisation.
Haliburton was on a generational run during the 2025 postseason. He became the first player ever to hit a game-winner in every series during a single playoffs. He recorded more clutch five-second game-winning shots in a single postseason than Kobe Bryant in his Hall of Fame career.
His postseason ended in heartbreaking fashion. He strained his calf in Game 5 of the Finals, then returned for Game 6 and tore his Achilles a game later. That bore a resemblance to Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles in the 2019 Finals for the Golden State Warriors under similar circumstances.
Haliburton said he called Durant before returning for Game 6, and what he was told encouraged him to play.
Kevin Durant told Tyrese Haliburton he didn’t regret coming back from injury before the 2019 NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant, now a Houston Rocket, strained his calf against his current team in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors made the Finals, and Durant rushed back with Golden State down 3-1 to the Toronto Raptors. He tore his Achilles and was out for the entirety of 2020.
Haliburton knew the risks of returning early when he strained his calf in Game 5. When deciding whether to risk his Achilles in the Finals, he called Durant for advice. He revealed Durant’s response on the Impaulsive podcast.
He said, “I called KD after I got my MRI Game 5, and I said, ‘Bro, do you regret playing in the game you tore it?’ He said, ‘No, not at all. ’ I wasn’t gonna switch anyway, so I’m glad you said that it makes me feel a little better.’ I don’t regret it at all.”
Durant’s recovery from his Achilles tear is unlike anything we have seen from an NBA superstar. He averaged 26.9 points in the season he returned, and seven years later, he is still averaging 26. Durant is now set to pass Michael Jordan on the NBA’s all-time scorers list.
Haliburton will hope for a similar recovery, which saw very little drop-off in performance for Durant. He went on to provide a timeline for his return.
Tyrese Haliburton revealed when he is expected to return from injury
Haliburton’s heartbreaking injury, which came after his hot start in Game 7, ruled the Pacers out of contention for both last season’s championship and next season’s.
Not only did the Pacers lose Haliburton for the season, but the Milwaukee Bucks also signed Myles Turner from the Pacers this offseason.
Haliburton’s injury update won’t give Pacers fans much hope for the near future either. He revealed when he is expected to return.
He said, “From the injury, I have about 15 months until I play my next game.”
Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon on June 22, 2025. That means he’s not scheduled to return to the court until September 2026, in time for the beginning of the 2026-27 season. He’ll take some time to get up to speed, but by the postseason, he should be nearly back to 100%.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Pacers, who were one game away from immortality. Now they’ll have to reset and rebuild, ready for their superstar to return to the court in over a year’s time.