Tyrese Haliburton's Achilles injury could not have come at a more inopportune time for the Indiana Pacers. He and the Pacers were poised to give the Oklahoma City Thunder their all in Game 7 on Sunday night, and he was on track for a monster game after hitting three of his four three-point attempts in the first few minutes, only for him to succumb to injury. This proved to be too much for the Pacers to overcome, as they ended up suffering a 103-91 defeat to dash their championship hopes completely.

Haliburton's injury set the NBA world ablaze, with LeBron James and Caitlin Clark expressing their support for the Pacers star in the aftermath of his unfortunate injury. Joining those with a strong reaction to Haliburton's injury was former Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, who wanted to fight the system and stick it to the man, seeing as he's someone who saw his career get cut short by a serious lower-body injury.

“In the Finals? So we just going keep playing right? Like its okay right? Like it ain’t happen huh? Like this is just part of it right? But what would this play off run be without Hali? What about Dame what about JT and so many others. I bet we will just blame it on the moment though lol and Hey he got millions right so he will be alright huh? So what truly matters? The Athlete 🤔?” Oladipo wrote on his official account on X.

“It’s all good though. I promise you im going to be a part of this change. It doesn’t have to be a norm or just part of the game anymore in any sport. We can and will protect the players better. Yall enjoy the rest of the game though. Rest up Hali bro this will make you stronger.”

Victor Oladipo feels deeply for Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts after suffering an injury during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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Oladipo peaked with the Pacers during the 2017-18 season, but he never got back to being the same caliber of player due to injuries. He ended up declining during the 2018-19 season before rupturing his quad tendon in early 2019. He then re-injured the same body part in 2021, forcing him to take a veteran minimum.

He would end up being a member of the 2023 Miami Heat squad that made it to the NBA Finals, but all he could play was three games in that playoff run before he tore his left patellar tendon. That was the final time Oladipo stepped on an NBA court, with injuries ending his career at just 31 years of age.

This is why Oladipo is going to be a loud voice when it comes to protecting players. It's not quite clear what the former Pacers guard is lobbying for, but it's safe to say that he wants the NBA to step up in terms of shielding their talent from injuries. Their stars have been dropping like flies due to Achilles injuries, and Oladipo doesn't want anyone to suffer the same fate he did.

Perhaps some of the changes the NBA can make is to shorten the season, loosen the restrictions for award eligibility (from 65 games to perhaps 60 or even 55) to encourage more rest and load management, and increase the number of rest days between playoff games.