Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton talks shingles battle as he recovers from torn Achilles

The Indiana Pacers' tally to the NBA Finals past twelvemonth came to a screeching halt erstwhile the squad mislaid Tyrese Haliburton with a torn Achilles successful Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Haliburton missed the full 2025-26 play arsenic helium watched Indiana lone triumph 19 games and autumn to 14th successful the Eastern Conference. But arsenic helium revs up to play successful 2026-27, Haliburton admitted that it’s not the carnal wounded that he’s disquieted astir going into adjacent year.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton shoots astir connected the tribunal earlier an NBA crippled against the Minnesota Timberwolves successful Indianapolis connected April 7, 2026. (Doug McSchooler/AP)

It’s an unwellness he’s been battling.

He said Monday helium has been dealing with shingles, which has caused him to summation weight, suffer portion of his close eyebrow and forced him to deterioration glasses to debar scratching his swollen eye.

"First of all, I'd archer anybody implicit 50 years aged to get the shot," Haliburton said. "It's been miserable. I person bully days and atrocious days, but for the astir portion it's been atrocious days.

"I've been taking unbelievable amounts of medicine to effort to get escaped of it. It hasn't worked. It's not been amusive and hopefully it goes distant soon. It's hard to truly archer with nervus pain, but I've been dealing present with nervus symptom for 2 months and successful the satellite of nervus pain, that's not precise long. Hopefully, it goes distant soon."

Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton reacts aft suffering an wounded during the archetypal 4th against the Oklahoma City Thunder successful crippled 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals astatine Paycom Center successful Oklahoma City, Okla., connected June 22, 2025. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)

MIKE BREEN SAYS FANS 'DESERVE TO BE THROWN A BONE' AS NBA CUTS ALL LOCAL BROADCASTS FROM THE PLAYOFFS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said astir 1 successful 3 Americans volition get shingles. The illness, if terrible enough, tin origin imaginativeness nonaccomplishment and nervus pain.

Haliburton said helium was connected a akin betterment timeline arsenic Boston Celtics prima Jayson Tatum, who besides suffered a torn Achilles successful the playoffs past year. Tatum returned to the Celtics successful March and has provided the boost Boston needed to beryllium seen arsenic title contenders.

Haliburton said helium has "no worries" astir getting backmost into playing signifier erstwhile he’s disconnected the medication.

"I'm retired of signifier similar crazy, similar I ne'er person been before," Haliburton said. "I've changed my medicine a clump of times. I've gotten a Botox injection I thought would help, it hasn't truly helped. I've done everything, it conscionable hasn't worked yet. But I'm assured it goes distant soon."

Indiana Pacers defender Tyrese Haliburton plays successful the 2nd fractional against the Miami Heat astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected March 29, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Pacers volition apt person a apical lottery prime successful the draft. Adding different young superstar to the Haliburton-led squad would beryllium a blessing successful disguise for Indiana arsenic they look to get backmost connected apical of the league adjacent season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.