Pacers Bar Tyrese Haliburton’s Father From Games After Giannis Incident

The Pacers will move forward in the playoffs without one familiar face in the crowd.

After discussions with both the Indiana front office and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, the organization has decided that the elder Haliburton will not attend home or road games for the foreseeable future, a Pacers spokesperson told Shams Charania of ESPN.

The decision comes in the wake of an on-court confrontation involving John Haliburton and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo following Indiana’s Game 5 win in Milwaukee — a series-ending loss for the Bucks. Haliburton approached Giannis postgame in an interaction that drew widespread attention on social media.

John Haliburton has since publicly apologized for the incident. His son, Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, addressed the situation directly.

“As far as the incident between Giannis and my pops, I had no idea it happened until I got to the back (and) was shown the video,” Tyrese told reporters. “Me and my pops have talked about that, and I don’t agree with what transpired there from him. I think basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court.”

The Pacers open their second-round series against the top-seeded Cavaliers on Sunday in Cleveland.