Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton has been diagnosed with shingles and will be away from the team for a few weeks, coach Rick Carlisle announced Sunday.
Haliburton, who has not played this season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals, experienced unusual symptoms while meeting the team in Washington, D.C., in recent days. He returned to Indianapolis, where the diagnosis was made.
Carlisle described shingles as “a very painful thing” and said Haliburton is expected to make a full recovery. The coach added that he has spoken with the player multiple times and that Haliburton remains in good spirits.
The Pacers, with a league-worst 15-42 record in the Eastern Conference, have struggled without their star guard on the court.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that affects about 1 million Americans each year. It stems from the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus. If you’ve had chickenpox as a child, the virus doesn’t fully leave your body. Instead, it lies dormant in your nerve cells for years, sometimes decades.
Later in life, the virus can reactivate, often triggered by factors like stress, a weakened immune system from illness or medications, or simply aging. When it wakes up, it travels along nerve pathways to the skin, causing a rash typically on one side of the body, such as the torso, back or face. The rash appears as red patches that turn into fluid-filled blisters, which eventually crust over and heal in two to four weeks.
The pain associated with shingles can be intense and debilitating. Many describe it as a burning, throbbing or stabbing sensation that precedes the rash by days and can linger long after the skin clears up — a condition called postherpetic neuralgia. In severe cases, the discomfort can disrupt sleep, daily activities and quality of life, lasting months or even years. Pain management often involves antiviral medications, pain relievers and sometimes nerve blocks, but early treatment is key to reducing severity.
Haliburton’s case is unusual for a 25-year-old athlete in peak physical condition, as shingles is more common in people over 50. Carlisle called it a “unique” situation but expressed confidence in Haliburton’s recovery.
The Pacers did not provide a specific timeline for Haliburton’s return beyond the initial few weeks.
