Shingles Altered Achilles Rehab For Pacers Star Tyrese Haliburton, But He’s Back On The Court

CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 05: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers practices before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on April 05, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Getty Images INDIANAPOLIS – Tyrese Haliburton was never going to play for the Indiana Pacers this season. President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said so in July of 2025.

Haliburton himself said in August he wasn’t rushing his recovery and wouldn’t return until he was 100% healthy. The Pacers 2025-26 season came to an end on Sunday night with a dismal 19-63 record. Haliburton, as was stated, did not play at all.

But his rehab from a torn Achilles suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals didn’t go exactly as planned after Haliburton came down with shingles during the All-Star break back in February. He wasn’t with his team immediately after the break. Then his head coach, Rick Carlisle, revealed his shingles diagnosis in late February.

“He’s come down with shingles, which is a very painful thing. He’ll likely be away from the team for at least two or three weeks as he recovers,” Carlisle said of Haliburton before calling it a unique situation. Even without his on-court presence, it was a big loss for the Pacers.