Tyrese Haliburton is more than ready to return to the Indiana Pacers for the 2026-27 season. He's surprised the moment will be seen by so few NBA fans. Haliburton went down with an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals that kept him out of Indiana's 19-win 2025-26 season. The Pacers start the upcoming season at New Orleans on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with normal, local TV coverage. Haliburton understands the Pacers aren't raising a banner or entering the season with a high-priced free agent, but he is an All-NBA player, an Olympian and made some crazy shots on the Pacers' run to the Finals. Be ready for the season: Pacers schedule, tickets, roster, preseason for 2026-27 NBA season "Name any other person you compare to my level of a basketball player," he said on the "Numbers on the Board" podcast. "If they tore their Achilles and missed 16 months, do you think they'd be on national television? Do you think that game would be at home, if not on national television? "When I saw the schedule, I said, 'Oh, wow!' I was shocked, but we move on." Here's the full podcast.
Did the NBA disrespect the Pacers with their opening night matchup? 🤔 https://t.co/kurpzCayvDpic.twitter.com/fi2ttX538p — Numbers On The Board (@notbpod) August 13, 2026 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: Tyrese Haliburton complains about Indiana Pacers season opener vs. New Orleans Pelicans