Tyrese Haliburton Distances Himself from Father’s On-Court Confrontation with Giannis After Pacers’ Playoff Win
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said he was unaware of the post-game scuffle involving his father and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo until he saw a video replay in the locker room following the Pacers’ dramatic Game 5 win.
Haliburton, who sealed Indiana’s 119-118 overtime victory with a last-second lay-up to clinch the first-round series 4–1, expressed regret over the incident involving his father, John Haliburton, who was seen confronting Antetokounmpo courtside while waving a towel with his son’s image.
“I had no idea it happened until I got back to the locker room,” the two-time All-Star said. “We had a little talk about it. I don’t agree with what transpired there. I think basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited.”
Giannis, who posted 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists in the loss, said he felt disrespected by the confrontation and initially thought John Haliburton was just a fan who had entered the court illegally.
“I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful,” Antetokounmpo said.
Tyrese Haliburton, who hails from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, said he plans to reach out to Giannis directly to clear the air.
“I’ll talk to Giannis about it eventually. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there. It’s unfortunate what happened at the end.”
