Before Tyrese Haliburton went down with a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, he was amidst one of the greatest runs in postseason history. In all four rounds of the 2025 playoffs, Haliburton hit a game-winning or game-tying shot in the final 1.1 seconds of the game.
He was on his way to another historic performance in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In just seven minutes, Haliburton had nine points on three 3-pointers.
Ask head coach Rick Carlisle about his point guard's playoff run, and he'll say it's no coincidence. It's exactly what he envisioned for Haliburton when Indiana acquired him from the Sacramento Kings in February 2022.
“We met at a restaurant,” Carlisle said on The Zach Lowe Show. “I went up and I shook hands. I looked him in the eye and said, ‘I know how you feel. I know this is a shocking situation. But look me in the eyes and watch what I'm telling you. This is your team. You have the opportunity of a lifetime here. I'm turning the keys over to you.”
Just weeks before his 22nd birthday, a young guard was gifted the reins to a franchise looking for its next superstar.
“To his credit, he took the keys and ran, and he jumped into stuff in the community right away,” Carlisle said. “He's become a second iteration of Reggie Miller in many ways.”
Miller spent his entire 18-year career in Indiana, where he became a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection. Despite just one NBA Finals appearance, he led Indiana's success throughout the second half of the 1990s.
Haliburton, already a two-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, cemented his place in Pacers history with last year's NBA Finals run. Even with a likely season-long absence in 2025-26, the 25-year-old remains under contract through 2029 and is poised to shape Indiana's future years to come.
