"I was in a dark place": Tyrese Haliburton relives daunting past as he makes brutal confession

Last season, Tyrese Haliburton was one step away from immortalizing his legacy in Indiana in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, when tragedy struck and he fell to the ground after tearing his Achilles.

The Pacers went on to lose the decisive game against the OKC Thunder after putting up a tough fight without their ace. Since then, Haliburton has been in rehab, working on himself, and focusing on getting back on the court as soon as he can.

Last week, the Pacers' star guard connected with Sports Illustrated on a video call. He participated in a brief interview and discussed the stress he endured coming into the new 2024-25 season.

"I was in a dark place," Haliburton said. “My joy for basketball just wasn’t there. And I’m just such a guy who, basketball, I love the game. I love basketball. I feel like I’m going to be around basketball for the rest of my life. I am just one of those guys, and [the joy] just wasn’t there."

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The Pacers guard revealed that the online trolling he was subjected to because of his limited role in the 2024 Paris Olympics had gotten into his head. He stated that it was a reason for his poor numbers in the first half of the season.

However, Tyrese Haliburton pulled himself together midway through the season. He exploded in the playoffs and was arguably one of the best clutch players in playoff history during the Pacers' entire postseason run.

Tyrese Haliburton credits his family, coach, and team for helping him through his slump

Tyrese Haliburton rarely saw the hardwood during his Olympics campaign with the USA Men's National Basketball squad. The Pacers guard played in only three games in the entire tournament. Coach Steve Kerr trusted Steph Curry to run the offense and rightfully so, as the Warriors star was one of the best players in the entire tournament.

Later in the interview with SI, Haliburton thanked his family, his teammates, and the Pacers coach, Rick Carlisle, for helping him break out of his slump at the start of the season.

"I just wasn’t in a good spot, and I’m really thankful for the people around me, my family, my loved ones, sports therapists, Coach Carlisle and the staff, teammates. I got through that, and I’m really thankful for it and proud of myself for getting through that and ultimately having the year I had."

Last season, Tyrese Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game on 47.3% shooting from the field.

Edited by Avi Shravan