Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals saw Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate a monumental NBA championship. But for many, it was a bittersweet moment, to say the least, courtesy of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton tearing his Achilles tendon seven minutes into the game.
Advertisement
The emotional weight of the moment pierced the hearts of basketball fans across the world, including former Golden State Warriors star Baron Davis.
Although Haliburton couldn’t play the entirety of Game 7, his clutch heroics in the playoffs featured either a game-tying or game-winning basket in every series the Pacers were in. In Game 7, he was on pace to cement himself among the greats.
Haliburton began the game by connecting on three shots from beyond the arc. It was clear Thunder had the work cut out for them despite having a home-court advantage. But once Haliburton went down, the Pacers’ chances vanished with his presence.
The last player in the NBA Finals to suffer a torn Achilles was Kevin Durant with the Warriors. Draymond Green was on the court when that happened. So, when he witnessed the same mishap happening to Haliburton, Green was hit with a bout of unwanted nostalgia.
“You’re not winning without your best player,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. “You could put together a decent season, but it ain’t happening.”
Although Durant left the Warriors following the 2019 NBA Finals, Golden State was without Klay Thompson, who was also recovering from an ACL injury and eventually tore his Achilles during rehab. To make matters worse, in the 2019-20 season, Stephen Curry missed the majority of the year with a broken hand.
Green understands how quickly the team’s future could change once a major injury happens to a star player. He projects the Pacers to experience the unfortunate implications of Haliburton’s absence.
It’s a devastating development for the Pacers and Haliburton, considering how close they were to winning the franchise’s first NBA championship. Baron Davis found himself empathizing with the impact that the injury had on the team and especially on Haliburton.
“I damn near wanted to cry for my bro,” Davis proclaimed. “To not get a chance to finish is heartbreaking, and he deserved it. He fought to a Game 7.”
Haliburton’s injury does well to remind fans of just how unforgiving sports can be. This isn’t a feel-good plot for a film. Sometimes the cards simply aren’t dealt in your favor, but that’s just the way things go. Haliburton understood that which is why he took the risk of playing on a calf strain in hopes the cards were in his favor.
Regardless, this won’t be the last time we hear from the two-time All-Star. Haliburton has beaten the odds his entire career and is ready to do it again, even if he faces a one-year setback.
