Image Credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar

Indiana Pacers Lift Ban on Tyrese Haliburton’s father: Why was John Haliburton Suspended from Pacers’ Games?

John Haliburton is likely to be seated in a suite in Game 4.

Image Credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar

Indiana Pacers changed their stance on Tyrese Haliburton’s father and lifted ban from John Haliburton ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. The elder Haliburton will be seen in Indiana’s home matchup on Tuesday for the first time since the Pacers’ Game 5 win over the Bucks on April 29.

Tyrese Haliburton’s father was suspended from the franchise after his on-court confrontation with the Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final game of the first-round playoffs. John missed Pacers’ eight straight games due to a ban. During the process, the Pacers qualified for the conference finals for the first time since 2000. Indiana are two wins away to reach a historic NBA finals.

Pops freed: Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John, will be allowed to attend Pacers home games in a suite beginning with Tuesday's pivotal Game 4 against the Knicks, sources tell ESPN. John Haliburton missed eight games following a confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo on April 29.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 26, 2025

John Haliburton was recently seen cheering for the Pacers in a local Indianapolis bar when his son, Tyrese dropped a buzzer-beating shot to force overtime in Game 1 against the Knicks. The Pacers will be pumped up to see their biggest fan in the stands. Indiana currently takes a 2-1 lead in the conference finals series.

Also Read: Tyrese Haliburton’s Father gets suspended from Pacers Games Indefinitely After On-court Confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo

Why was John Haliburton Suspended from Pacers’ Games?

John Haliburton, Tyrese Haliburton’s father faced suspension from the Pacers for his on-court behaviour after the Pacers’ first-round victory over the Bucks. He ran on the court and yelled on Antetokounmpo’s face after his son hit a last-second layup in overtime to win the playoff series.

Giannis felt “disrespected” after this incident but added they have talked and “I think we’re in a good place.” “Losing a game, emotions run high,” Bucks star said in the post-game. “I thought it was a fan. It was his dad. I love Tyrese. I think he’s a great competitor. His dad coming on the floor & showing me his son’s towel with his face. ‘This is what we do. This is what the f*** we do.’ That’s very, very disrespectful.

Giannis Antetokounmpo just went face-to-face with Tyrese Haliburton’s father after the Bucks were eliminated in Game 5.

Giannis had to be pulled back by team staffers.pic.twitter.com/FeE6GgEwxS
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 30, 2025

Later, John Haliburton also issued an apology on social media and said, “I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game. This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”

“I think a father-son relationship is special,” Haliburton’s teammate Myles Turner said. “I grew up in a house where my father was a big part of my life, and this is a very special moment — conference finals and you potentially move on. So I’m glad that a father can see his son play.”

John Haliburton is likely to be seated in a suite in Game 4. The Pacers will host the Knicks on Tuesday night in search of a series-defining victory. One more victory will put them ahead in the race to the NBA finals.

Also Read: WATCH: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s Father Involve in Heated Argument after Pacers Eliminate Bucks in NBA Playoffs 2025

Image Credit: Nirmalendu Majumdar

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.