Tyrese Haliburton’s father became national news on Tuesday night. However, a new report claims John Haliburton has been a problem at Indiana Pacers games long before his confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Agents have complained about him. Other players have complained to the league about him,” ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said during a Wednesday edition of First Take. “Call the league office. They have complained about him.”
The NBA Playoffs delivered some dramatic moments Tuesday. However, none were bigger than the Milwaukee Bucks’ collapse in the final minute of their Game 5 loss to the Pacers. The defeat ended their season in Round 1 for the third straight year. And top star Giannis Antetokounmpo was understandably rattled by the result.
However, Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John, chose to rub salt in the fresh wound by walking up to the two-time MVP after the final seconds ticked off and verbally taunted him. Fortunately, coaches and officials stepped in before the moment could escalate further. But the two later went face-to-face, and the Greek superstar seemed to aggressively let the senior citizen know he was not pleased with his actions.
In the post-game press conference, Antetokounmpo explained why he felt the moment was very “disrespectful” and not sportsmanlike at all. Haliburton publicly checked his father about the ugly moment, and the elder Haliburton publicly apologized on X late last night.
“I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,” he wrote. “This was not a good reflection on our sport, or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”
