Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is facing a tough road to recovery after a bout with shingles. The NBA player had been preparing to return from a torn right Achilles tendon, but the illness has caused him to gain weight, lose part of his right eyebrow, and wear eyeglasses to avoid scratching his swollen eye.
Haliburton, who never suited up for the Pacers this season, told reporters that while he is ready to return from the injury, it's the illness that he will contend with this offseason. He has been taking large amounts of medication to try to get rid of the shingles, but it hasn't worked.
Haliburton's Achilles recovery was tracking similarly to Jayson Tatum's until the shingles diagnosis hit. Tatum has already returned to game action this season and is performing well for the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed. Haliburton, meanwhile, only returned to five-on-five workouts last week.
'I'm out of shape like crazy, like I never have been before,' Haliburton said. 'I've changed my medication a bunch of times. I've gotten a Botox injection I thought would help, it hasn't really helped. I've done everything, it just hasn't worked yet. But I'm confident it goes away soon.'
