Amid Their Rivalry, Tyrese Haliburton Releases Statement On Damian Lillard Following Achilles Tear

Prateek Singh | 28/04/2025
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) defends against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) in the second half during game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ nightmare postseason took an even darker turn tonight, as Damian Lillard suffered a suspected torn Achilles during Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers. The injury not only spells trouble for the Bucks moving forward in the playoffs, but it could also have massive implications for their future.

Before tonight’s brutal setback, the Bucks–Pacers rivalry had been heating up fast. Damian Lillard had just returned after battling blood clots, rejoining the playoff battle against Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers.

Dame’s return was expected to breathe life into the Bucks, who had been mediocre otherwise. However, disaster struck the Bucks again when Lillard went out with an injury. In the aftermath of Lillard’s injury, Tyrese Haliburton addressed the situation with heartfelt words. He put the differences aside to express his sadness over Dame’s injury.

The Pacers star said, “What you see between us is competing, and you hate to see that [injury] happen…He’s went through a lot and he has given it his all to come out here and play after a scary health issue…You know the love I have for the guy, and you hate to see that happen to anybody. I wish him the best.”

Haliburton and Lillard have been going at each other for a while. It all started when Haliburton hit the ‘Dame Time’ celly during an in-season tournament game last year. At the time, Lillard said that he understands that it’s a sign of respect, but warned the Pacers star to never repeat it. Recently, during Game 1 of the playoff series, they went at each other again.

Even though Lillard was not playing in that game, he was seen mouthing off at Haliburton. They got into a heated exchange where Lillard threatened to ‘beat his a**.’

It’s hard to believe that the two despise one another. Haliburton has been a lifelong Lillard fan and has openly talked about his love for Dame.

He once revealed, “My favorite player to wear number 0 is Damian Lillard… part of the reason I wear number 0 is Damian Lillard.” As of now, their rivalry is the last thing that’ll be on Lillard’s mind. If the early reports are true and he has a torn Achilles, it’s going to be an uphill battle for Dame to just get back into the game.

In his absence, the Bucks are likely going to take a first-round exit from the playoffs. They’re already down 3-1, and things aren’t looking good for them as Game 5 will be held in Indiana. As for the 34-year-old, he will have to give six months to a year of his life to heal from the possible Achilles injury.

Even if he makes a comeback, history has shown us that no player can perform at their level best after coming from a torn Achilles, especially at Dame’s age.

Post Edited By: Sameen Nawathe
Damian Lillard Tyrese Haliburton

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Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

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