Tyrese Haliburton returned to the NBA in style for his first game in over a year.
The Indiana Pacers star missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. His long road to recovery ended Wednesday with the Pacers' season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Haliburton rocked a special outfit to commemorate his journey's conclusion. An avid WWE fan, Haliburton wore a denim and leather jacket similar to the one worn by WWE legend Triple H when he returned from a torn quad in January 2002. The current WWE chief content officer came back from the injury just eight months after tearing his hamstring off the bone during a match in May 2001.
For Triple H's surprise return to Madison Square Garden, he wore a jacket with "Triple H" stitched on the back. Haliburton donned a similar look ahead of Indiana's road matchup with New Orleans.
Prior to his arrival, Haliburton posted a hype video on his Instagram narrated by none other than Triple H, seemingly teasing his outfit.
The two have collaborated before, with Haliburton wearing custom D-Generation X shoes in a March 2025 game. Triple H was a core member of the D-Generation X professional wrestling stable in WWE. Haliburton wound up hitting a game-winning four-point play and received praise from Triple H.
Haliburton attended Royal Rumble in Indianapolis in February 2024, and he went face-to-face with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson at a WWE event in June 2024.
His return to the court comes after leading the Pacers on a stunning run to the Finals in 2025. They lost in seven games to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
