Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton describes enduring a two-month shingles ordeal that caused facial swelling, weight gain, and partial eyebrow loss.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton revealed on Monday how shingles has impacted him physically, noting he has gained weight, lost part of his eyebrow, and still feels lingering effects from a two-month fight with the illness on his face. He spoke to reporters in Indianapolis one day after the conclusion of the 2025-26 regular season.
'I couldn't even go in front of a camera if I wanted to early, because my eye was basically closed shut,' Haliburton said. 'It was all over my face.'
Haliburton, who missed the entire prior season recovering from a torn right Achilles, was diagnosed with shingles in February and stepped away from the team to recover. He described developing a rash for the first two weeks before intense itching began.
He returned to the bench for the final weeks of the season and wore glasses in public and again on Monday, explaining it was to avoid touching his face. During that time, he also faced challenges with managing the condition through medication and treatments.
On the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Haliburton shared that he received a Botox injection and changed medications multiple times to manage shingles. However, his latest medication caused weight gain as a side effect. The 26-year-old’s face appeared puffy and swollen on Monday.
'I've lost part of my eyebrow, my eye is always swollen from itching it,' he explained. 'I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it's bad days. So, it has not been any fun.'
Haliburton suffered a right Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals the previous June and was sidelined for the entire season, so while the shingles diagnosis did not cost him additional games, it set back his rehabilitation process.
Last week, he posted on social media that he had begun participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages, which was planned to start after the All-Star break before his shingles setback. On Monday, he noted he no longer thinks about his leg injury.
Though he still lacks a full recovery timeline, he acknowledged needing a long summer to heal from shingles and regain his fitness.
Haliburton mentioned his father, John, had the same illness last year but with a stomach infection. After personally experiencing the disease’s severity, Haliburton urged others to take precautions.
'I would tell anybody over 50 years old to get the [shingles vaccine],' he said. 'This has sucked.'
The Pacers guard wore glasses during his media appearance on Monday, stating it helped prevent him from touching his face. He joined the team on the bench for the final weeks of the 2025-26 regular season after recovering enough to return in a limited capacity.
Haliburton’s ongoing health issues have added complexity to his comeback from multiple injuries, but he remains focused on returning to full strength.