Image Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

“I Was Wrong” – John Haliburton Apologizes After Heated Exchange With Giannis Antetokounmpo Post Pacers vs. Bucks Game

Image Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

John Haliburton, father of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, has apologized for the scuffle that happened after the Pacers vs. Bucks game five. Greetings and handshakes turned into an exchange of fiery words, continuing the trend of one of the most physical NBA Playoffs in recent history.

The Milwaukee Bucks crashed out of the series in the most heartbreaking way after losing out on a game winner. Tyrese Haliburton powered a match winning layup to take the Indiana Pacers for a 119-118 win. This victory sealed a 4-1 First round playoffs series win for the home side. Bucks were visibly devastated from the result.

Giannis Antetokounmpo calmly shook hands and greeted each player on the court. However, things went southwards when John Haliburton carried his son’s flag and shouted a few things at the Greek freak. Antetokounmpo felt it was disrespectful and confronted John Haliburton.

Another angle of Tyrese Haliburton's dad approaching Giannis after the Pacers' overtime win over the Bucks 😳

(via @squaresense)pic.twitter.com/PuSCLrdF6s
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 30, 2025

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But the father, in full excitement of the game result, was not backing down. Finally, the staff members from the sidelines had to separate the duo. Giannis Antetokounmpo while moving aside waved a thumbs up to John Haliburton in a way trying to say all was good. However, when Tyrese Haliburton got to know about the incident a few moments later, he was not happy with the conduct that his dad carried out.

John Haliburton Issues Apology After Talk With Son

John Haliburton has now issued an apology for getting on the court that began the scuffle between him and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The father son Haliburton duo had a long talk about what happened after the game and Tyrese was not ok with his father’s behavior.

While talking to a media outlet about the incident, John Haliburton said, “He (Tyrese) called me like he should have. He let me know, ‘Dad, what you did was not OK.’ And I told him he’s absolutely right. He understood that it was a father moment. He knew that it was a passionate moment.”

John added, “I just reacted because my son, he just did something very incredible, and I just jumped. Am I sorry for being proud of my son? No. No. I’m not going to tell you that because I’d be lying. But I was wrong for going on the basketball court, because I shouldn’t have ever done that. Do I apologize for going on the court? Yes I do.”

The senior Haliburton also denied cursing at Giannis Antetokounmpo with the F-word. The Greek freak in the post-match press conference accused John Haliburton of consistently using the F-word. Giannis felt disrespected, which is why he lost him calm at the moment. But John has clarified that he never swore at him, which leaves fans with two different stories of one incident.