John Haliburton, the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, will be able to attend his son’s games after the franchise lifted the ban it had imposed on him from accessing the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and visiting courts after the unpleasant incident he starred in when he confronted Giannis Antetokounmpo on April 29 after the Pacers eliminated the Bucks, according to ESPN
The Pacers have thus lifted the ban on Haliburton’s father from that incident of not attending his team’s games either at home or away, which has led him to miss eight playoff games since then. The Pacers’ management will allow him to attend home games, but he will have to watch them from a suite, not from the stands. And he is still banned from away games. According to ESPN, Mr. Haliburton understands and accepts the franchise’s decision.
The incident between Haliburton and Antetokounmpo occurred while the Pacers were celebrating Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds left in overtime that gave them the victory that secured the playoff series against the Bucks (4-1).
An unacceptable attitude
According to Antetokounmpo, John Haliburton provoked him: “Tyrese’s father showed me a towel with his son’s face on it saying ‘this is what we do, this is what we f***ing do’, I found it very disrespectful …. I think it was totally unacceptable”. The two squared up before Bucks players and team security separated them. Antetokounmpo said he spoke to John Haliburton after the skirmish: “We’ve sorted it out”. John Haliburton confirmed this: “I told him I love him”.
Tyrese’s dad showed me a towel with his son’s face on it saying ‘this is what we fucking do’, I thought it was very disrespectful, it was totally unacceptable
The Pacers star’s father apologised on social media shortly after the game: “I sincerely apologise to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organisation for my actions after tonight’s game. This was not a good reflection of our sport or my son, and I will not make that mistake again.”
I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Bucks, and the Pacers organization for my actions after tonight’s game. It was not a good reflection of our sport or of my son, and I will not make that mistake again
His son, Tyrese Haliburton, said after the game that he did not know what had happened until he returned to the locker room, but agreed that his father had crossed the line and said that he had also had a conversation with him. “I’ll talk to Giannis at some point. I don’t think my dad was right at all. It was unfortunate what happened in the end,” he said
I’ll talk to Giannis at some point. I don’t think my father was right at all. It was unfortunate what happened in the end
His father admitted his mistake shortly afterwards on Milwaukee radio station TMJ4: “Going out on the court was wrong. I should have restrained myself, but I was in the moment.” But he insisted he was not trying to stare down Antetokounmpo and that a security guard put his hands on him. “When I was off the court, Antetokounmpo put his hands on me. I’m not saying he did it in a hostile way,” Haliburton said. “He reached out, grabbed my hands. He put his forehead on mine and said ‘don’t ever disrespect me again, fuck you’.“
Antetokounmpo put his hands on me. I’m not saying he did it in a hostile way, he reached out, grabbed me. He put his forehead on mine and said ‘don’t disrespect me again, fuck you
It remains to be seen how the illustrious Mr. Haliburton behaves tonight when he returns to watch the fourth game of the Eastern Conference final live, in which the Pacers, his son Tyrese’s team, will face the Knicks. Hopefully he has learned his lesson and will not let his emotions get the better of him
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