LeBron James Says Tyrese Haliburton Still 'Moves the Needle' for Pacers

LeBron James spent part of the season preview episode of Mind the Game, the podcast he hosts with Steve Nash, on the Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton.

On Oct. 7, Haliburton played his first NBA game since tearing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. He started and played 16 minutes in a 123-112 preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, the building where he played two seasons for Iowa State.

He finished with 7 points and 6 assists on 3-of-8 shooting. It was his first game in 472 days.

He has not played since. Haliburton sat out Saturday's 119-117 preseason loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with what Pacers coach Rick Carlisle called a "mild tweak of his right ankle."

James said he wants to see where Haliburton is physically.

"We know what we've seen out of the Pacers two years ago," James said, "and it was all predicated on his pace, his pace to be able to get the ball up the floor, pitch-aheads, or just his dribble drives, his knowledge, his IQ of the game. Feel. It allowed them to be what they turned into to be able to get to the Finals. So it doesn't matter."

"Listen, nobody can move the needle like Tyrese can," James continued. "And he is the head of the snake. So we'll see where he is physically. And if he's anything close to where he was before, then they're going to put themselves in contention to be — you got to really be ready to play them. You got to get a good night's rest and get [off] your feet the night before."

James and Haliburton were teammates on the U.S. team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

On a Mind the Game episode released the day before Game 1 of the 2025 Finals, James called Haliburton the "head of the snake" in Indiana. Haliburton later sat in as a guest co-host for a two-part episode of the show, the second half of which aired Feb. 3. The two shared a Mind the Game panel at Fanatics Fest NYC on July 16.

James is now in the Eastern Conference. He announced a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 24, ending eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The contract carries a player option for 2027-28.

Haliburton went down in the first quarter of Game 7 on June 22, 2025. The Oklahoma City Thunder won 103-91 to take the title.

He missed all of 2025-26, and Indiana finished 19-63, the worst record in franchise history.

In 2024-25, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 9.2 assists and made the All-NBA Third Team. Sacramento drafted him 12th overall in 2020, and Indiana acquired him in a February 2022 trade.

He signed a five-year max extension with the Pacers in July 2023.

After the opener in Ames, Haliburton told The Pat McAfee Show that his body felt good.

Carlisle said before the Hawks game that Haliburton had been limited in practice Friday and that an MRI showed "everything looks really good."

"The Achilles looks great," Carlisle said.

Haliburton practiced without restrictions Monday, Carlisle told Forbes' Tony East. His status for Tuesday's preseason game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City was set to be decided that day.

If he is not ready, Carlisle said the target is Friday's preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Indiana opens the regular season Oct. 21 at the New Orleans Pelicans. The home opener is Oct. 23 against the Dallas Mavericks.

James and the 76ers visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Oct. 28, one of 11 Pacers games scheduled for national TV and the team's only ESPN game.

Philadelphia returns to Indianapolis on Nov. 27.