Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton opened up about his bout with shingles Monday, saying he has gained weight, lost part of an eyebrow and is still feeling the aftereffects of a two-month battle with the disease in his face.
“I couldn’t even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early, because my eye was basically closed shut,” Haliburton told reporters in Indianapolis a day after the end of the regular season. “It was all over my face.”
Haliburton, who has missed all of the 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn right Achilles, was diagnosed with the disease in February and stepped away from the team to recover. He said he developed a rash for the first two weeks before the itching began. He rejoined the team on the bench for the final few weeks of the season and wore glasses in public and again Monday, which he said was to help prevent himself from touching his face.
Haliburton also told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday that he received a Botox injection and changed his medication multiple times to help manage the disease, but a side effect of his latest medication has led to weight gain. The 26-year-old star’s face appeared puffy and swollen.
“I’ve lost part of my eyebrow; my eye is always swollen from itching it,” he said. “I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it’s bad days. So, it has not been any fun.”
Haliburton tore his right Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June and was ruled out for the entire season, so while the shingles diagnosis did not cost him any more games, it has been a setback during a tedious rehab process.
Haliburton announced on social media last week that he has started playing in five-on-five scrimmages, which had been scheduled to begin after the All-Star break before his setback with shingles. Haliburton added that he doesn’t even think about his leg injury anymore. And although he still did not have a timeline for when he would be fully recovered, Haliburton acknowledged that he still has a long summer ahead of him to heal from the disease and get back into shape.
Haliburton said that his father, John, also had the illness last year but that his stomach was infected. And after seeing firsthand what the disease is capable of, Haliburton had a message to pass along.
“I would tell anybody over 50 years old to get the [shingles vaccine],” Haliburton said. “This has sucked.”
