Tyrese Haliburton expressed surprise at the NBA's scheduling for his return to play, which is set to occur in an opening night road game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Haliburton, who is making his comeback after rupturing his Achilles during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, voiced his astonishment on the "Numbers On The Board" podcast.
Haliburton, a two-time All-NBA and All-Star selection, questioned whether a player of his caliber, returning from a 16-month recovery period, would typically be featured in such a scenario. He noted that the Pelicans are projected to be one of the weaker teams in the Western Conference, with an over/under of 27.5 wins according to DraftKings.
"Name any other person that you compare to my level of a basketball player, wherever you have me ranked. If they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think that game would be on national television?" Haliburton asked the podcast hosts. He followed up by inquiring if such a game would be at home, even if not nationally televised, to which the hosts agreed.
Haliburton's main point of contention was the location of the game. "Do you think that that game would be at New Orleans?" he added with a smile, eliciting a reaction from the hosts. He stated, "When I saw the schedule, I was like, ‘Oh wow!’ Shoutout [Pelicans star] Trey Murphy [III], love my boy, Trey. Love New Orleans. But I was shocked to see that."
The Pacers' 2026 campaign opener against the Pelicans is notable given the lack of a significant rivalry or recent high-profile trade between the two franchises. Furthermore, they are not in the same conference, a detail Haliburton highlighted.
Prior to his injury, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists per game during the 2024-25 season, shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range. He was instrumental in leading the Pacers to the NBA Finals, where the team staged several comebacks before ultimately losing in Game 7. Haliburton scored three three-pointers in just seven minutes of play in that decisive game before sustaining his injury.