Tyrese Haliburton Blasts NBA for 16-Month Return in New Orleans Off National TV
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 15
Tyrese Haliburton Blasts NBA for 16-Month Return in New Orleans Off National TV
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 15
Summary
Tyrese Haliburton publicly criticized the NBA schedule after learning his first game back from a torn right Achilles will be a road opener at New Orleans without a national TV slot.
The Pacers guard said on the "Number on the Board" podcast that a player of his stature missing 16 months would normally return at home or in a nationally televised game.
Haliburton has not played since Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, when Indiana lost to Oklahoma City and he suffered the injury that wiped out his entire 2025-26 season.
The complaint highlights how the league prioritized bigger opening-night draws elsewhere, including LeBron James and the 76ers visiting the defending champion Knicks at Madison Square Garden.