Photo from Tyrese Haliburton's X account
NBA star Tyrese Haliburton penned a heartfelt message on social media on Tuesday (Manila time), apologizing to the Indiana Pacers fans as he shared that he had undergone surgery.
Haliburton spoke up after the Pacers' Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, falling a game short of a breakthrough NBA championship.
The Pacers hero exited the deciding game in the first quarter due to an apparent leg injury, which the organization later confirmed to be a torn right Achilles tendon.
READ: Haliburton joins NBA stars with torn Achilles tendon in playoffs
Still in shock, the 25-year-old American point guard vented his ire about the "frustrating end" to his NBA Finals campaign.
"Man. Don’t know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I’ve worked my whole life to get to this moment and this is how it ends? Makes no sense," he said.
"Now that I’ve gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I’m going to 'come back stronger'. What a cliche lol, this sh*t sucks. My foot feels like dead weight fam. But what’s hurting most I think is my mind," he went on.
"Hali," as called casually by hoops fans, was "proud" of the fight he has put on.
READ: Pacers' Haliburton hurt early in game seven against Thunder
The Pacers star captivated fans all over the world through his clutch heroics in the 2024-25 NBA playoffs.
"Feel like I’m rambling, but I know this is something I’ll look back on when I’m through this, as something I’m proud I fought through. It feels good to let this shit out without y’all seeing the kid ugly cry."
Haliburton said sorry to his franchise fans, vowing to come back and overcome this "hurdle" with them.
READ: Thunder seal NBA crown with Game 7 win over Pacers
"Indy, I’m sorry. If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all. But together we are going to fight like hell to get back to this very spot, and get over this hurdle," he said.
"I don’t doubt for a second that y’all have my back, and I hope you guys know that I have yours."