Tyrese Haliburton pounded the hardwood with frustration as he lay face down on the Paycom Center court during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
There were still five minutes left in the first quarter, but the Indiana Pacers’ star knew his night — and possibly his next year — was over.
From All-Stars to emerging role players, the NBA saw a troubling spike in Achilles tendon tears this past season — one of the most feared injuries in professional sports. Seven players suffered Achilles injuries during the 2024–25 campaign, including three alone in the playoffs.
Here’s a look at the players who sustained the devastating injury this season:
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
- 2025 NBA playoffs averages: 17.3 PTS | 8.6 AST | 5.3 REB
The NBA world was buzzing with anticipation for a rare Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
But just minutes into the decisive contest between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, everything changed.
Haliburton collapsed to the floor early in the first quarter after a non-contact play, appearing to aggravate his previously strained right calf.
Tyrese Haliburton went down with an injury in Game 7.
— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025
The two-time All-Star immediately began pounding the hardwood in frustration, visibly emotional as the Thunder pushed the ball the otherway.
Tyrese Haliburton was helped off the court after going down with an apparent leg injury. — ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2025
Haliburton was helped off the court and into the locker room, unable to return as Indiana’s championship hopes faded in a 103–91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Pacers later confirmed that Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon. He is expected to undergo surgery, with no specific timetable set for his recovery or return.
[ALSO READ: Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton vows to 'do everything to get back right' after Achilles surgery]
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
- 2025 NBA playoffs averages: 28.1 PTS | 11.5 REB | 5.4 AST
Before Haliburton, Tatum was the most recent player to suffer the devastating injury.
The 27-year-old ruptured his right Achilles tendon late in the fourth quarter of a Celtics Game 4 loss against the New York Knicks in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
[ALSO READ: Celtics star Jayson Tatum undergoes surgery after suffering season-ending Achilles injury]
Tatum had been leading Boston in points, rebounds, and assists during the postseason and was coming off an MVP-caliber regular season.
Boston dropped into a 3-1 hole after the loss. The Celtics staved off elimination in Game 5 at home, but their title defense ended with a Game 6 defeat at Madison Square Garden.
Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks)
- 2024-25 NBA regular season averages: 24.9 PTS | 7.1 AST | 4.7 REB
Lillard was the first player to suffer a torn Achilles during the 2025 NBA playoffs.
The injury struck just minutes into Game 4 of the Milwaukee Bucks’ first-round series against the Indiana Pacers.
Lillard collapsed without contact while chasing a rebound and immediately grabbed his lower leg — a familiar and ominous sight this postseason.
Dame leaves the game with an apparent injury
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 28, 2025
Hope he's okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ak4Ia59nL9
It came at a cruel time as the nine-time All-Star had just returned after missing nearly a month due to a blood clot in his calf.
[ALSO READ: Bucks’ Damian Lillard suffers season-ending torn Achilles injury]
Without Lillard, the Bucks dropped Game 5 in overtime and suffered their third straight first-round exit.
Dejounte Murray (New Orleans Pelicans)
- 2024-25 NBA regular season averages: 17.1 PTS | 7.4 AST | 6.5 REB
Murray was among the earliest stars to suffer a torn Achilles this season, sustaining the injury in a late January game against the Boston Celtics.
The non-contact injury occurred in the second half as Murray chased his own misses shot, fell to the floor, grabbed the back of his foot, and hobbled off the court.
Dejounte Murray was helped to the locker room after suffering an apparent non-contact injury on this play 🙏
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 1, 2025
It marked the second major leg injury of Murray’s career as the 28-year-old previously missed the entire 2018–19 season with a torn ACL while with the San Antonio Spurs.
Earlier this season, he also sat out 17 games due to a broken hand.
At the time of the injury, Murray was averaging 17.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 6.5 rebounds per game for the Pelicans, who finished 21–61 — the fourth-worst record in the league — and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven years.
James Wiseman (Indiana Pacers)
Wiseman’s first year with the Pacers ended just six minutes into his debut.
The 23-year-old center suffered a torn left Achilles tendon during Indiana’s season opener against the Detroit Pistons. The injury occurred in the first quarter as Wiseman landed awkwardly while backpedaling after a 3-point attempt.
James Wiseman goes down after a non-contact injury and will not return tonight
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 23, 2024
Hope he's okay 🙏
Signed in the offseason to boost the Pacers’ frontcourt, Wiseman was expected to be a key rotation piece behind Myles Turner. Instead, his season ended almost as soon as it began.
The former second overall pick has struggled with injuries throughout his career, missing the entire 2021–22 season with a knee issue. Indiana is his third team in four years.
Isaiah Jackson (Indiana Pacers)
Jackson was the last Pacer to suffer a season-ending Achilles injury, going down in early November against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter as Jackson landed awkwardly after contesting a shot by Brandon Ingram — who was later traded to the Toronto Raptors midseason.
Isaiah Jackson suffered an injury to his right Achilles tendon during last night's game at New Orleans.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 3, 2024
An MRI taken earlier today confirmed that Jackson tore his right Achilles tendon, with surgery scheduled for Monday, November 4.
Learn more: https://t.co/Py7waxCXjq
Jackson, averaging 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds at the time, missed Indiana’s NBA Finals run, joining James Wiseman on the sidelines as both watched the postseason unfold as spectators.
Dru Smith (Miami Heat)
Smith became the first player to suffer a torn Achilles in the 2024–25 season, going down with a left leg injury during the Miami Heat’s 110-95 win over the Brooklyn Nets in late December.
INJURY UPDATE: Dru Smith underwent successful surgery today. The procedure to repair a ruptured left achilles tendon was performed by Dr. Harlan Selesnick & assisted by Dr. Frantz Lerebours at Doctors Hospital Surgery Center in Miami. He will miss the remainder of the season.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 27, 2024
It was the third season-ending injury for the 26-year-old guard since 2022. Smith missed most of the 2023–24 season with a torn right ACL sustained in a fall near the Cavaliers’ bench, and a knee injury also cut short his 2021–22 G League run with Sioux Falls.
Smith appeared in 38 career games with the Heat and the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 4.5 points.
"NO CONNECTION"
Despite the alarming number of Achilles injuries this season, league Commissioner Adam Silver said he sees no connection between the league’s 82-game schedule and the rise in serious injuries.
“I don’t really see the benefit to reducing the number of games,” Silver said during a press-conference just before Game 1 of the recent Finals.
He insisted: “If that were the case, you’d think you’d have more injuries in April than in October. Or you’d see more injuries in the playoffs than in the regular season — and we don’t see that either.”
Silver also pointed to the 2020 COVID-shortened season, noting that injury rates were actually higher despite fewer games.
He warned that a shorter schedule would also mean fewer chances for fans to watch their favorite teams and players.
For now, the 82-game season remains intact. But with stars like Haliburton, Tatum, and Lillard facing long recoveries, the debate around workload and player health isn’t going away anytime soon.
