Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton went as in depth on his Achilles injury as he has publicly on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast. Haliburton said his trip to New York for the podcast was the first time he left Indiana since the injury. Here are his key comments on the injury and recovery:

What did Tyrese Haliburton think when he hurt his Achilles?

>> Haliburton thought someone had stepped on him when he suffered the injury but quickly knew what had happened. “It’s not the worse pain I’ve dealt with,” he said of his emotional reaction. “It was just the general shock and the mental pain that happened in the moment.”

>> “It’s still hard for me to process,” Haliburton said of the injury. “We came back in every series; it felt like destiny for us to win. In that moment (of the injury) was the first time all playoffs that I felt like we might be (expletive). ‘This could be the end of it all.’

“I’m not worried about next year. I’ll be fine in the long run, I was more concerned about us as a group. If I’m out there, it’s a better chance for us to win. For all the sacrifices everyone gave, it’s unfair and unjust sometimes.”

Does Tyrese Haliburton think his calf strain contributed to the Achilles injury?

>> “I think so. The science is, they don’t know everything yet. I got an MRI after Game 2 and an MRI after Game 5. I met with specialists and doctors and both times they said, ‘We are not concerned about your Achilles.’ When I tore it I asked the doctor, ‘Are you surprised?’ And he said, ‘Yes. I am surprised. I didn’t think this was going to happen.’

“The doctors said if in the regular season, I’d have sat for 2-3 weeks.”

Does Tyrese Haliburton regret playing in Game 7 of the NBA Finals

>> “I had some close friends and family and mentors that said, ‘Shut it down.’ I was like, ‘Hell no. Hell no.’ I asked (Kevin Durant), ‘Do you regret playing in the game you tore (your Achilles)?’ He said, ‘No, not at all.’ I dont regret it.

“This isn’t the end. I’m 25.”

Re-live the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals

Other comments by Tyrese Haliburton:

>> Haliburton said he has “maybe” seen video of the injury one time.

>> Haliburton said his phone stopped working after the injury because he got so many texts.

>> Haliburton said he deleted social media during the playoffs.

>> Haliburton said he did journaling and he’s already thinking about what color shoes he’s going to wear when he returns and what the social media promo is going to be.

>> The language is NSW but check out the full podcast as Haliburton talks about his relationship with Durant and other NBA stars, what he’s doing during his rehab, how he practiced proposing and more here: https://youtu.be/oZLEyCSwVA0?si=z4JOMTZ2Zfw7vPu2

Get IndyStar’s Pacers coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Pacers Update newsletter.