Pacers all-star Tyrese Haliburton said again that he feels fully recovered from shingles as he continues his rehabilitation from an Achilles tendon tear that cost him all of the 2025-26 season on Monday’s Pat McAfee Show.
Haliburton said he put on about 15-20 pounds of unhealthy weight because of shingles and medication used to combat it but said he’s worked that off and maintained muscle that he gained early in rehab.
“I feel great,” Haliburton said. “Shingles is mostly beyond me now. I’ve lost the weight. I feel great. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time.”
Haliburton also reiterated he’s pleased with the Pacers additions. Though he acknowledged being disappointed that the Pacers didn’t get to keep their first-round draft pick due to the trade for center for Ivica Zubac, he’s still thrilled with the addition and believed Zubac was too important to acquire.
“Let’s think about it though, right?” Haliburton said. “We don’t need a guard. The fifth pick was a guard. The sixth pick was a guard. … I like Zu. We’re trying to win right now. What if it would have worked out that we got Zu and a top-four pick? Y’all would have been like, ‘You guys are geniuses.’ It just didn’t work out. We took a gamble and I guess we lost, because we didn’t get the pick but we got Zu who is one of the best centers in the league.”
Haliburton said he was also thrilled with the addition of forward Kelly Oubre Jr. but had to spend about a minute explaining to McAfee that Oubre is not Kelly Olynyk.
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers Tyrese Haliburton on 2026-27 season: ‘I feel great’
Reporting by Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Dustin Dopirak, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
