The Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 NBA champions. No amount of hypotheticals or artificial caveats will take that accomplishment away. History will remember them to be one of the greatest teams ever, with a historic 68-14 regular-season record and two Game 7 wins to highlight their playoff journey.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander cemented his spot as an all-time great with an MVP trophy and a championship ring. Jalen Williams showed why any playoff concerns about him were hilariously wrong as an All-NBA talent.
But, man, it’s fun to have a little thought exercise now and then. One is what would’ve happened to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals if Tyrese Haliburton didn’t suffer a torn Achilles. He played through a calf strain in the championship series, but the risky decision unfortunately had catastrophic repercussions.
Haliburton suffered the injury in the first quarter. The Indiana Pacers tried their best to win without their best player, but couldn’t. Now out for the entire 2025-26 season, he was recently asked how he thinks the what-if scenario of him being able to finish out Game 7 would’ve played out.
Unsurprisingly, Haliburton thinks he’d have a championship ring. Tyrese Maxey recently asked him the question that’ll forever haunt Indiana.
“Hali,” Maxey said. “Do y’all win if you don’t get hurt? 100%?”
Haliburton responded: “Of course.”
As an NBA player, you must have this mindset. And it’s not wild to think it could’ve happened. Haliburton had a hot start. He had an all-time playoff run that featured a couple of game-winners against the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and even the Thunder. His confidence must’ve been sky high.
Alas, injuries are part of sports. The Thunder went on to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. They look like a team primed to go back-to-back. Meanwhile, the Pacers will forever wonder how things could’ve played out if they had a little bit better injury luck.