It’s only natural to root for a great comeback story when it involves an athlete who has suffered a serious injury.
We watch closely as they work through the prolonged rehabilitative process and hope everything goes well.
The rightful eagerness for them to return good as new is exacerbated when we imagine just how much better the team will be having the star back in uniform and playing at a very high level.
Indiana Pacer point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down in a rather gruesome manner during game seven of The 2025 NBA Finals, and for the last 10 months has worked hard to regain the form fans are accustomed to, and quite frankly, expect from him every time he steps onto the basketball court.
With the benefit of world-class medical care and a top-tier training staff, Haliburton has remained more than simply optimistic as he announced that he’s now resumed five-on-five play with his teammates, and feels he’s right on target for the 2026-2027 NBA training camp, which will be here before we actually realize it.
Despite a recent bout with shingles, which slowed his rehab temporarily, he’s confident that he’ll soon be back in shape and ready to return to the Pacers’ active roster for the preseason, which seems remarkable for such a rather serious injury.
Undoubtedly, he’s watched Jason Tatum of the Boston Celtics return to play after experiencing the same injury, and while he has shot the ball well and been a rather tremendous boost in the arms for the Celtics playoff chances, it’s definitely worth mentioning that Tatum isn’t totally healthy, and has yet to be able to take an opponent off the dribble as he once did so masterfully and easily.
One may think l’m doubting the total recovery to date of both these brilliant players and if so, you’d be correct.
Whether it be the game video of Tatum or the reports from those truly in the know about Haliburton’s current health, the similarities are obvious and can justify the debate ensuing about their actual physical condition, raising the question of whether these young men are coming back too soon, and thereby raising the significant chance of re-injuring themselves badly.
While it may be hard to envision the aforementioned occurring, it definitely must be considered seriously by everyone in the process.
Despite all the ultra-advanced technology medical providers have at their collective disposal, it comes down to the players themselves to answer the question of how their body actually feels to them.
Wanting back on the court is a powerful desire and one that, unfortunately, some players allow their emotions to determine. Hopefully, that will not occur in this case with experts surrounding Haliburton advising him against a premature return.
Ultimately, time will tell, but the Pacers must reserve the right to keep him on the bench until he’s healthy.
That in itself will be a challenge with a player as competitive as Haliburton, but ultimately, it’s not his call as opposed to the medical staff. Stay tuned as this one just may get really interesting.
Danny Bridges, who finds Tyrese Haliburton quite intelligent and wishes him the best, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
