Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shows true colours after heartbreaking Tyrese Haliburton injury
Tyrese Haliburton suffered a devastating Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and rival point guard Shai GilgeousAlexander showed his class.
In a display of beautiful sportsmanship, Shai Gilgeous‐Alexander showed class following the heart-wrenching Achilles injury suffered by Tyrese Haliburton during the climactic Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder, lead by star guard Gilgeous-Alexander, ultimately prevailed over the Indiana Pacers with a score of 103-91, to claim their first championship since 1979.
But there was heartbreak for the Pacers when their key player went down hurt. The incident occurred early in the first quarter as Haliburton charged towards the basket, suddenly collapsing while grasping his right leg. The anguish was visible as he hit the floor, pounding the court and crying out before being assisted off the court, unable to place any weight on his injured leg.
While panic set in on the Pacers bench, Gilgeous-Alexander immediately went to check on his stricken rival. Haliburton had been managing an ongoing calf injury since Game 5 where it became problematic.
Despite the severity of the calf strain confirmed by scans and his constrained movement, Haliburton continued playing. His grit saw him score a mere four points in Game 5 but he said afterwards: "If I can walk, then I want to play."
Carrying this unwavering resolve into Game 6, Haliburton scored 14 points, playing through evident discomfort to help push Indiana to a nail-biting Game 7 finale.
Following the injury, Gilgeous‐Alexander knelt beside Haliburton, offering a comforting hand on his back and whispering words of solace before returning to his own bench. This act of kindness, caught on camera, showed the character of Gilgeous‐Alexander.
Haliburton had begun Game 7 strongly by sinking three early three-pointers before his leg gave out.
For Haliburton's teammates and Indiana fans, seeing their star player in agony was deeply distressing. After limping off the court, he was ruled out for the remainder of the match.
The Pacers lost their floor general and were unable to recover as the Thunder came out victorious.
