“So what truly matters?” – Victor Oladipo calls for urgent player protection after Tyrese Haliburton joins Tatum, Lillard in Achilles injury list

Tyrese Haliburton was the third player to suffer a torn Achilles tendon injury in the 2025 NBA playoffs, joining Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum. Haliburton suffered the injury in the first quarter of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Former Indiana Pacers player Victor Oladipo called for the urgent protection of players after the worrying trend of injuries.

In a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Oladipo wants to see changes to avoid further injuries in the sport. He would like to protect the players from harm, asking questions about people blaming Haliburton for playing through a right calf strain that could have directly caused his injury.

Oladipo, who has had his fair share of brutal injuries during his time in the NBA, doesn’t want people to dismiss injuries as just part of the game.

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"What would this playoff run be without Hali?" Oladipo asked. "What about Dame what about JT and so many others. I bet we will just blame it on the moment though lol and Hey he got millions right so he will be alright huh? So what truly matters? The Athlete 🤔?. It’s all good though. I promise you im going to be a part of this change."

It will be interesting to see if the NBA would make changes to its schedule to avoid putting strain on players' bodies. Damian Lillard was coming off a blood clot issue in his calf when he suffered a torn Achilles, while Jayson Tatum had a lot of miles in his body since entering the NBA in 2017.

Tyrese Haliburton was nursing a right calf strain since Game 5 and played fantastically in Game 6 to send the NBA Finals to a Game 7. However, Haliburton seemingly tore his Achilles in a normal move that many players do on the court.

Rick Carlisle praises Tyrese Haliburton amid injury heartbreak

Speaking to reporters after the game, Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle praised Tyrese Haliburton for his performances throughout the season and postseason. Carlisle pointed out to Haliburton prioritizing the team over individual performances, which was critical to their overall success.

"He authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play," Carlisle said, according to the IndyStar. "It was just something that no one's ever seen and did it as 1 of 17. You know, that's the beautiful thing about him. As great a player as he is, it's always a team thing. And so, our hearts go out to him."

Haliburton will likely be out for the entire season, putting the Pacers in a tough position.

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About the author

Juan Paolo David

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry. 

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

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