Tyrese Haliburton's dad staying away from Pacers games after Giannis flap
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Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John, will not be attending any Pacers games for the “foreseeable future” after he got into a confrontation with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo following Game 5 in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

John met with the Pacers front office, and the decision was made by the organization that he would not attend any of their home and road games going forward, a Pacers spokesperson told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The incident made headlines after the game in which Antetokounmpo explained he felt John’s actions were “very disrespectful” when he had waved a towel and yelled, “this is what we f–king do.” 

John admitted that going on to the court “was wrong,” during an interview with Milwaukee news station TMJ4 on Wednesday. 

However, he insisted that he had never shouted in Antetokounmpo’s face. 


Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates with his father, John Haliburton, after winning Round One, Game Five of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 29, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers celebrates with his father, John Haliburton, after winning Round One, Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 29, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images

“When I was off the court, [Antetokounmpo] put his hands on me. I’m not saying that he did it in a hostile way,” John told the TV station. “He reached out, he grabbed my hands. He put his forehead on my forehead, and he proceeded to say what he said to me, and that was, ‘Don’t you ever f–king disrespect me again.’”

Both Antetokounmpo and John had said that they had left things on good terms when all was said and done. 

The Pacers star said he didn’t condone what his dad had done following the win.

“He needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there and I’ll come to him to celebrate. But the emotions of the game got excited there. I talked with him. I’ll talk with Giannis. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there,” Haliburton said.


Giannis Antetokounmpo goes forehead to forehead with John Haliburton after the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo goes forehead to forehead with John Haliburton after the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers. X, @esidery

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke highly of Haliburton’s father in the wake of the incident. 

“I want everyone to know that this is a guy with a heart of gold, and the one thing he loves close to his son is the Pacers,” Carlisle said during “The Fan Morning Show” on 107.5 FM in Indy. 

“But, it can’t manifest the way that it did, and he knows that.”

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