In His Healthy Season Before the Injury, Haliburton Averaged 18.6 Points, 9.2 Assists, 3.5 Rebounds, and 1.4 Steals Per Game

Tyrese Haliburton admitted he was "shocked" when he saw the Indiana Pacers' season-opening matchup on the NBA schedule, questioning why his comeback game would be featured on national television and played on the road. The two-time All-Star is set to return after missing 16 months recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The league released the full regular-season schedule on Thursday, and Haliburton was surprised to see the Pacers open their season with an away game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"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 game would be on national television? Haliburton asked on the "Numbers on the Board" podcast.

"Do you think that that game would be at New Orleans? "When I saw our schedule, I was like, 'Oh wow. Shoutout to Trey Murphy; love all my boys.

Love New Orleans, but I was shocked to see that, he admitted. "But we move on. The scheduling likely wasn't meant as disrespect — both the Pacers and Pelicans finished with losing records last season and missed the playoffs, so the league may have prioritized spotlighting other matchups that night.

In his healthy season before the injury, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Haliburton is entering a much more challenging Eastern Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers added LeBron James via free agency and Jaylen Brown through a trade with the Boston Celtics, while the Miami Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Pacers host James and the 76ers on Wednesday, Oct. 28, with ESPN televising the game. a team Haliburton helped eliminate from the playoffs in 2025 — won the championship during his absence this year.

The Pacers will get their first shot at the Knicks when they host them on Friday, Nov. 13 in Indiana.