Tyrese Haliburton breaks down in tears after first game since Achilles tear originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returned to the court in the preseason, but his first regular season game since tearing his Achilles in 2025 clearly meant something to him on Wednesday.
Haliburton was emotional after a come-from-behind win over the Pelicans, a day shy of the 16-month anniversary of his devastating injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
While the Pacers had to shake off some rust on the road, Haliburton was able to feel everything once Indiana stormed back and finished off a win — something the team only did 19 times without him last season.
Here's a look at Haliburton's heartfelt moment after the game.
Tyrese Haliburton emotional after return
Asked how much fun he had in the win, Haliburton could barely get a word out before breaking down in tears:
Tyrese Haliburton broke down during his postgame interview with Jeremiah Johnson 🥹 So good to have you back, 0 💙 https://t.co/w0py2seq2C
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 22, 2026
"It means a lot just being back out here," Haliburton said, choking up.
Haliburton finished with 23 points and 12 assists in the Pacers' 123-120 win, which came after trailing by 10 in the third quarter.
The Pacers guard said leading up to the season that he developed a "different perspective on life" while away from the court last season, which might explain how it all hit him on Wednesday.
"I'm just thankful to be playing basketball again and to be doing all the different things that I can do in the community because when something like that happens, it's like your life flashes before your eyes," Haliburton told ESPN.
The Pacers' next three games come against teams who lost their opener — the Mavericks, Nets and Bucks — so they have an opportunity to stack some wins early in the season.