“Thought Shai stepped on me”: Tyrese Haliburton gives detailed insight into gut-wrenching Achilles injury during NBA Finals

When Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury that many feared he would during the 2025 NBA Finals, it wasn’t just the Pacers star who felt the frustration. Everyone anticipated a thrilling end to the season as Indiana, against all odds, once again gave itself a shot to cause an upset by forcing a Game 7.

However, Haliburton’s gut-wrenching Achilles injury put an end to that hope. For Haliburton, he too felt the Pacers’ season was over at that point for the first time during their fairytale run to the finals. It seemed like a brutal blow after the Achilles’ pop was captured on camera in real-time, adding to the outpouring emotions that hoped to see Haliburton close the game without aggravating his calf strain.

However, the All-Star described the exact moment during an appearance on Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast on Tuesday, saying it wasn’t as painful. At one point, though, Tyrese Haliburton felt as if his counterpart, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, stepped on him.

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"People always say you feel like you got kicked in the back of your leg, and that's what it really feels like," he said. "But for a split second, I thought Shai stepped on me. So, I kind of like turned my head and realized, he's in front of me ... and then for a second I thought, did the ref just step on me? Did the ref get in the way?"

Gilgeous-Alexander was guarding Haliburton when the injury occurred. However, they weren't remotely close to a collision when the Pacers star went down on his own after trying to get past the OKC guard.

Tyrese Haliburton has no regrets about playing Game 7 despite Achilles pop

Tyrese Haliburton suffered a calf strain in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Stars, including Kevin Durant (2019) and Damian Lillard (2025), have suffered an Achilles tear after returning from a calf ailment. Haliburton was advised by many of his close confidants and other people in NBA circles not to step on the court again, fearing an injury that could rule him out for the 2025-26 season.

Unfortunately, that's what happened. However, Haliburton doesn't regret his decision. Here's what he said on Logan Paul's podcast:

"I had some close friends and family and mentors in my life who called me after Game 5 and were like, 'Hey, shut it down.'"

Paul asked a follow-up question on whether Haliburton wished he had taken that advice, to which the Pacers star answered, saying:

"No, hell no."

Tyrese Haliburton revealed he asked Kevin Durant about his 2019 injury, which happened similarly. Durant said he had no regrets, which gave Haliburton more confidence to play despite the calf strain in Game 5.

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About the author

Arhaan Raje

Arhaan Raje is an Assistant Content Manager and Senior Writer with Sportskeeda's NBA/WNBA team with four years of experience.

Arhaan focuses on features, trends, listicles, and the latest rumors and reports circling the league's top teams and players. He emphasizes detailed research to create impactful content for readers. A fan of Xs and Os, Arhaan provides technical deep dives in his reporting.

Arhaan completed his bachelor's degree in BBA in Media and Entertainment Management from Mumbai, India.

Arhaan admires the killer mentality of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He respects LeBron James for being a role model on and off the court. The bold and decisive Gregg Popovich stands out as Arhaan's favorite basketball coach. LeBron's epic chase-down block in the 2016 NBA Finals has a special place in Arhaan's basketball memories.

He has interviewed former NBA Defensive Player of the Year Gary Payton and Ronnie 2K, the face of NBA2k and Marketing Director.

Sports isn't the only passion he has pursued professionally. Arhaan is also into performing arts in the music industry as a percussionist.

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