The internet is still reeling after the Indiana Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks in an overtime thriller on Tuesday (April 29) to advance to the East Semifinals. But it was what happened after the final buzzer that has folks in an uproar.
John Haliburton, father of Bucks PG Tyrese Haliburton, walked on court to celebrate the Pacers’ victory. He initially walked by the Bucks’ star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, but turned back to face him while shaking a towel with his son’s face on it.
After the two shook hands, they had to be separated after they began to exchange words. The next day, John took to his X account (which had been inactive for the last three years) to apologize for his actions.
He apologized to “Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game,” and vowed to “not make that mistake again.”
Watch for yourself at the 1:58 mark.
One X user posted another angle of what led to the confrontation.
Despite the proud NBA dad taking accountability, sports commentators and NBA fans alike are calling for some form of disciplinary action.
Kendrick Perkins
Perkins called for John to “be suspended for the rest of the postseason” on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption.” He added: “At some point, you gotta make an example. And he has to be the example. No way in hell he should be allowed to walk on the floor and go get up into Giannis Antetokounmpo’s face and do what he did last night. Just sit back from afar and praise him and just be a proud dad in the stands.”
Ryan Clark
“I believe he should never be allowed to be at another basketball game,” Clark said on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
He continued: “You have to make a stand so no one else does this.”
Charles Barkley
“Ain’t never seen that before. In my over 40 years in the NBA, I’ve never seen a parent [like that],” Barkley declared on “The Dan Patrick Show.” He added how it “ain’t no way I wouldn’t have clocked him. And I ain’t trying to be no fake tough guy on television. There’s no way I wouldn’t have punched him in the face when he did what he did.”
Although he didn’t approve of John’s actions, he doesn’t “think he should be executed, but I think, hey, you can’t come to the next two, the next two games at home.”
Emmanuel Acho
After praising Antetokounmpo’s restraint after he admitted he felt “disrespected” in a press conference, Acho wants John “banned for the rest of the playoffs.”
“You got to treat him like a fan if he wants to act like a fan,” Acho said.
Shaquille O’Neal
John had some back up, as O’Neal recalled how “Giannis walked up to him” and how “[Tyrese’s] dad is always on the court every game.”
He also said fan confrontations “comes with the territory” during a heated debate on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”
X Users
Tyrese addressed the viral altercation during a press conference after the game. “I don’t think that my pops was in the right at all there,” he said.
“We will have a conversation and I’ll talk to Giannis it’s unfortunate we’re all grown men.”