“The exchange on the telephone last night… was one of the most uplifting moments in my entire coaching career. People should be very hopeful.” That was Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, painting a picture of a star player whose spirit was unbreakable. And in public, that’s exactly the man Tyrese Haliburton has been. After a devastating Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, he quoted Kobe Bryant, vowing to “get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.” He’s been the perfect leader, saying all the right things. But what happens when the cameras are off, and the long, lonely road of rehab stretches out in front of you? This week, we got a glimpse.
As the WNBA’s best descended on his home city for All-Star Weekend, Haliburton was on the outside looking in. While his girlfriend, Jade Jones, was posting stories from inside the arena, taking in the action, he was spotted by Pat McAfee navigating the sidelines on a knee scooter. McAfee’s post was lighthearted: “GREAT to hangout with @tyresehaliburton…has phenomenal control of his scooter.”
Haliburton reposted it, but his caption was anything but uplifting. It was a raw, three-word plea that said everything about the private frustration behind the public fight: “get me out of this mf!!”
It was a moment of pure honesty. For a player who lives and breathes the game, being a spectator in his own city is a special kind of hell. The contrast was brutal: his girlfriend, Jade Jones, was right there in the heart of the action, enjoying the festivities, posting pictures from the arena, and looking spectacular as always. Meanwhile, he was on the sidelines, physically present but separated from the court he loves by a medical boot and a scooter. It’s a stark reminder of the grueling reality of his recovery, a journey that will likely cost him the entire 2025-26 season.
Of course, no one doubts his determination. The man who apologized to the entire city of Indianapolis for getting hurt—“If any fan base doesn’t deserve this, it’s y’all,” he wrote—is clearly committed to coming back stronger. But his emotional plea is a window into the soul of a competitor who is being tested like never before. The wait, it seems, is already feeling endless.
(This is a developing story…)
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