INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said he is still feeling the aftereffects of a two-month battle with shingles in his face, describing an illness that caused weight gain, visible swelling, and a setback in his rehabilitation from a prior injury. Haliburton was diagnosed with shingles in February and stepped away from the team to recover.

The guard developed a rash during the first two weeks of the infection before intense itching began. "It was all over my face," he said. He lost part of an eyebrow during the bout, and his face appeared puffy and swollen.

Haliburton changed his medication multiple times to manage the condition and received a Botox injection as part of his treatment. The latest medication caused weight gain as a side effect. He also wore glasses in public to help prevent himself from touching his face.

"I have good days and bad days, but for the most part it's bad days," Haliburton said. "So, it has not been any fun."

The shingles diagnosis did not cause him to miss any additional games. He had torn his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in June 2025 and was ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season as a result. The shingles battle caused a setback in his rehabilitation from that Achilles injury.

He rejoined the team's bench for the final few weeks of the season and announced on social media that he has started playing in five-on-five scrimmages. He said he does not think about his leg injury anymore.

He said he does not have a timeline for when he will be fully recovered from shingles, adding that he has a long summer ahead to heal and get back into shape. His father, John Haliburton, had shingles last year that infected his stomach.

"I would tell anybody over 50 years old to get the shingles vaccine. This has sucked," he said.