Pacers’ Tyrese Halliburton makes an intriguing admission about physical change after injury

Tyrese Halliburton enjoyed a memorable postseason last year, leading Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals and established himself as one of the most demanding players in sports today. He exuded an aura that transcended stats, even though they were damn good anyway. Just as he had the world of sports viewing in the palm of his hand, a brutal accident befell him. Star point guard suffered a torn Achilles early in Game 7 of the Finals and was forced to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder win their first Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Halliburton had a lot of time to think during his recovery, and he is using his season-long absence to become a better basketball player. Such a search may include gaining extra weightor a lot of extra weight. The two-time All-NBA third-team selection told LeBron James on Game Mind Podcast. that he has gained 30 pounds since his devastating injury.

However, he is not too concerned about his physique. Halliburton hopes to use its newfound scale to its advantage.

The 25-year-old averaged just 3.0 free throw attempts per contest last season and 2.7 in his career. He has a smooth streak to bury opponents with charity (85.5 percent in 333 regular season games), so this is clearly an area he and the Pacers want to address. As he recovered, Haliburton watched closely as aggressive guards like Austin Reaves and Peyton Pritchard imposed their will when driving to the rim.

“That’s really something I’m trying to focus on during my rehab, just being more physical,” the King said on 2023-24 assists to James. “I was 180 pounds on Game 7. I’m 210 right now.

“Obviously, as I start running, I’m going to take it off. Some of it isn’t good because I’ve been drowning my sorrows in cookies and ice cream (laughing), but I think I see it and it’s just a way to be more physical on the edge {and} get more free throws. I think that’s important, just slow down.”

Tyrese Halliburton says he’s gained 30 pounds since he last played.

“I was 180 pounds at the game for 7 days, now I’m 210,”

(🎥 @mindthegamepod / h/t @Fullcourtpass )

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 28, 2026

Tyrese Haliburton has a new perspective on the game and it could add an intriguing element to his offensive arsenal. He needs to avoid getting sluggish, but the extra padding could make him muscle up defenders. The 12th pick in the 2020 NBA draft does not hold until the triumph of 2025. He understands the importance of development.

The Pacers didn’t win the Eastern Conference just because of talent. Sure, they boasted two All-Star-caliber players and numerous other impressive contributors, but chemistry, bonding and superior instincts carried them over the precipice of championship immortality. Rick Carlisle’s team he has to come up with a similar formula if he wants to get back into the conversation thread.

A more powerful Halliburton could potentially enter such a plan. Depleted Indiana (11-36) is on track to secure a top-five pick in the draft 2026 NBA Draftso the franchise will have a new look already next season. Fans will also have to get used to a physically transformed Tyrese Haliburton. That shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the Pacers continue their winning ways.