John Haliburton, father of Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, has publicly apologized for his actions following the Pacers’ Game 5 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, which closed out their first-round playoff series.
After the Pacers secured a thrilling 119-118 overtime victory, John entered the court and got into a tense altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Waving a towel printed with his son’s image, John approached Giannis and engaged in a heated exchange.
The Bucks star had to be held back by team staff as emotions ran high following Milwaukee’s elimination.
The moment quickly drew criticism, with many questioning why a family member was on the court engaging with players.
Hours after the confrontation, John took to social media for the first time in years to express remorse: “I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game.
“This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”
Tyrese and Giannis respond to emotional incident
Speaking postgame, Tyrese Haliburton said he didn’t know about the incident until he saw the video afterward.
“I don’t agree with what transpired there with him… I talked with him. I’ll talk with Giannis, eventually, about it. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there,” Haliburton stated.
Giannis, clearly angered by the moment, said, “I thought he was a fan, but then I realized he was Tyrese’s dad… coming on the floor and showing me a towel with his [son’s] face. I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.”
With tensions high, the NBA may review the incident. Meanwhile, Indiana moves on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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