Tyrese Haliburton Makes Bold Declaration on His Return to the Court: “0 Will Be Back”

NBA fans will finally see Tyrese Haliburton back on the court next season. Due to a torn Achilles tendon sustained in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers star was sidelined for the previous season. He spent a good amount of time rehabilitating his injury to make a promising return.

Recovering from a torn Achilles tendon is never easy. Few players in NBA history have recovered from the devastating injury and returned to their former selves. This is why players spend extra time rehabbing before they can return to action.

On Monday, Haliburton participated in the softball charity event with Indianapolis Colts star quarterback Daniel Jones in Indiana. Team Haliburton won over Team Jones, 28-6. During the game, he fired up the fans who attended by making a strong declaration.

Sep 29, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

“0 will be back this season, baby!” Haliburton said.

“0 will be back this season, baby!!!” pic.twitter.com/Ak13Civdtg

— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) August 25, 2026

Last season, the Pacers underachieved without Tyrese Haliburton, their best player. The team finished with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, 19-63. After the star guard went down with the injury, the team knew they wouldn’t be competitive. It was disappointing, especially after Indiana made it all the way to the Finals in 2025.

Ahead of the new year, Haliburton expressed his excitement for next season.

“Chomping at the bit. I can’t wait. I’m really excited,” Haliburton said. “Everybody always feels the summer is really long. Like, wow, I can’t wait to get back. Well, I’ve had that for double, triple the amount of time everybody else has. So I can’t wait to get back on the floor.”

Haliburton spent some time with the team this summer, and they are focused on performing better next season.

Tyrese Haliburton Reacts to LeBron James Joining the 76ers

The Eastern Conference has become more competitive after LeBron James joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, James and the 76ers are one of the top candidates to contend for the championship.

Tyrese Haliburton is looking forward to a competitive Eastern Conference after the 76ers acquired James.

“It’s exciting. Competition is fun,” Haliburton said. “Excited for LeBron to be in the East. Excited for the reigning champs to be in the East. There’s a lot of excitement in our conference, and that makes it special. That makes it more fun. Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Aside from the 76ers, the Miami Heat also acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade. Additionally, the New York Knicks are still considered contenders after they won the championship in June.

Haliburton’s first season back will be exciting and competitive.