Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton’s Blunt Reaction to NBA Schedule Snub
After the NBA officially laid out its slate for nationally televised games, it didn’t take long for Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to air his frustrations.
Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 season due to a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The All-Star point guard is set to make his first return on Oct. 21 on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The two nationally televised games that day feature the Golden State Warriors against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Miami Heat.
“Name any other person that you compare to my level of a basketball player, wherever you have me ranked, if they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think that [first game back] would be on national TV?” Haliburton said during an appearance on the “Numbers on the Board” podcast. “Do you think that game would be at home if not on national television? Do you think that game would be at New Orleans?
“When I saw the schedule I was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I was shocked to see that. But we move on.”
Haliburton may not be regarded as one of the top faces of the league, but he has proven that he’s one of the game’s best point guards.
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The lack of national attention certainly comes with the territory of playing for a small-market team, but Haliburton has more than showcased that he’s worthy of the bigger spotlight, especially when he’s coming back from a potential career-altering injury.
