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The NBA unveiled its 2025-26 schedule this week, drawing criticism from several quarters around the league. Among the most vocal detractors is Indiana Pacers standout Tyrese Haliburton, who took issue with how the league positioned his highly anticipated return to action.
Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, an injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025-26 season. The former Iowa State player had emerged as one of the playoffs’ biggest stars before the setback forced him to spend 16 months in recovery.
The Pacers’ comeback contest for their franchise player has been scheduled as a road game in New Orleans and will not receive national television broadcast. During an appearance on the “Number on the Board” podcast, Haliburton questioned the decision, suggesting comparable players returning from similar injuries would receive more prominent scheduling treatment.
“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. He further pressed the point by questioning whether such a return would occur away from home without national coverage.
While scheduling 82 games across 30 NBA teams presents logistical challenges, the comeback of a marquee player coming off a full season absence would seemingly warrant priority consideration. The league’s decision to open the season with LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers facing the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden underscores where league priorities lie.
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