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Tyrese Haliburton injury: Skip Bayless criticizes Pacers star, NBA media moments before Achilles ailment

On3 imageby: Sam Gillenwater06/23/25samdg_33
Tyrese Haliburton (Game 7 - 2025 NBA Finals)
Kyle Terada | Imagn Images

Skip Bayless has shared a lot of takes over the years. However, almost none have to be as poorly timed as the one he posted about Tyrese Haliburton going into Game 7.

Bayless took to Twitter before the last game of the 2025 NBA Finals, posting that Indiana was relieving Haliburton from pressure with an ‘injury excuse’ with him dealing with a calf strain coming out of Game 5. Again, though, this was brutal wording and timing with Haliburton going down in the first quarter of Game 7 with what’s being reported as an injury to his Achilles.

“The Pacers brilliantly took the big-game pressure off Haliburton, who routinely no-shows, by planting the ‘injury excuse’ that the media swallowed whole,” wrote Bayless.

The alleged excuse that Bayless was referencing was the calf strain for Haliburton. It could have kept him out of Game 6 but his play in that game made some question how severe it truly was with Haliburton having 14 points (41.7% FG, 42.9% 3PT with 3PM), five assists, and two steals in a 17-point win that helped get the Pacers to Game 7.

Still, reporting was that this was a risk being taken by the Pacers’ star in order to give it all to try to get his team to a championship in the NBA Finals. That risk now seems like it will have paid off with a significant-looking injury that ruled him out for the rest of Game 7 and could possibly, depending on the severity, be bringing into question his availability for next season in ’25-’26.

Bayless did by no means wish an injury in this criticism of Haliburton, the Pacers, and the media that covers the NBA. Still, it looks like quite the jinx nonetheless with what happened within an hour later to Haliburton.

More on Haliburton’s injury in Game 7

Tyrese Haliburton was at risk of injury with what he was dealing with this series coming out of Game 5. Now, in the final game of the season, Haliburton might have ended up with an even more significant injury.

In the first quarter of Game 7 in the NBA Finals, Haliburton went down on a drive with a non-contact injury. He was visibly upset as he laid on the floor, as the rest of his teammates came out onto the court to surround him, before he was helped off to the locker room.

Haliburton had been hurt with a calf strain that he suffered in Game 5. He would play in Game 6, though, with no effect coming out of that game. However, in Game 7, Haliburton went down again and, this time, could be hurt with something even worse than before.

This was worst-case scenario for Haliburton, who had been one of the stars of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He had averaged 18.6 points (47.3% FG, 38.8% 3PT on 3.0 makes), 9.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in the regular season in his fifth year in the association. He has since averaged 17.7 points (46.1% FG, 32.9% 3PT on 2.3 makes), 9.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in what’s been an all-time postseason run for him, making some huge playing and making some massive shots in leading Indiana to the NBA Finals. That didn’t include the nine points, off of three made triples on four attempts, he had in the first seven minutes before leaving in Game 7.