“Giving me nightmares bruh”: Tyrese Haliburton hilariously reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s avatar on NBA 2K26 

It has been almost 10 weeks since the 2025 NBA Finals ended, yet Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still finding ways to pop up in Tyrese Haliburton’s life. During a recent NBA 2K26 livestream, Haliburton bumped into another online player whose virtual character was designed to look exactly like the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar.

After chuckling at the oversized head of the avatar, Haliburton admitted that “SGA” still unsettles him.

“Every time I blink on this game he right there,” Haliburton said. “Giving me nightmares bruh.”

Trending

It’s not shocking that Haliburton still gets rattled by anything related to Gilgeous-Alexander. The OKC guard had an unforgettable Finals performance, leading Oklahoma City to a 4-3 victory over the Indiana Pacers while averaging 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

For Haliburton, the series was further unforgettable due to a devastating injury he suffered early in Game 7. The Pacers initially simply reported it as a “right lower leg injury.” However, it was later confirmed to be a torn Achilles, an injury serious enough to keep him off the court for the entire 2025-2026 season.

Tyrese Haliburton back on court 10 weeks after tearing Achilles

Not long after Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles, reports suggested that he would be sidelined for the entire upcoming season. Since then, the Pacers star has been open about his rehab journey, speaking up often about the process.

These updates hadn’t lifted Indiana fans’ spirits until a recent video brought some hope back.

Earlier this week, Haliburton shared an Instagram Story from the Pacers’ practice facility, where he was knocking down free throws. The Pacers quickly reposted the clip, revealing their excitement with the caption:

“Let’s goooo Tyrese.”

The clip of him back on the court had supporters buzzing, but his recovery plan is not being rushed. His return timeline is still the same as originally laid out by the team. Back in the offseason, Haliburton revealed on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast that fans would have to wait until the start of the 2026-2027 campaign.

“It'll be 15 months before I play my next game,” Haliburton said.

Without Haliburton, the Pacers’ chances of a return to the Finals look bleak. To make matters worse, the team suffered another blow after Myles Turner chose to end his 10-year partnership with the organization, signing with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia is an NBA, WNBA, and tennis journalist at Sportskeeda with over four years of experience in the field with The SportsRush.

Advait has a love of basketball that stems from playing the game, and has represented Mumbai North at the Inter-District State Championship and Maharashtra at the ASISC National Games.

His favorite team is the New Orleans Pelicans, although Advait also has an affinity for the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. His favorite player of all time was Kobe Bryant, as the Lakers legend's undeniable talent and mentality were just unignorable. As for players in the current game, Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson, Victor Wembanyama, and Kyrie Irving are top of Advait's list.

When not watching or writing about sports, Advait is a fan of true crime shows, board games and console gaming.

Know More