While the Indiana Pacers officially eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks with an overtime victory in Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday night, the biggest headline from the game came in the form of a postgame altercation between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton.
Shortly after the final buzzer sounded and the Bucks’ season ended, the older Haliburton made his way onto the court before going head to head with the 2-time MVP. The incident proved to be the primary topic of conversation in the postgame press conferences, with Tyrese even admonishing his father’s behavior.
While John Haliburton isn’t an official NBA employee, he is a fan. And Stephen A. Smith would like to see the league punish the 2-time All-Star’s father for his actions.
“The league can and the league should [punish John Haliburton],” Smith said on Wednesday’s episode of First Take. “Now, Mr. Haliburton, I don’t know him. I’ve met him once or twice. Obviously, he’s a passionate fan of his son and obviously he’s an incredibly supportive father. But I think that this should go down as one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. He should be ashamed of himself.”
Stephen A. Smith thinks the NBA should punish Tyrese Haliburton’s father for his altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“I think that this should go down as one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. He should be ashamed of himself.” pic.twitter.com/KboCQhVG1L
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 30, 2025
Smith proceeded to disagree with Shaquille O’Neal’s comments on the matter, as the Hall of Fame center-turned-TNT analyst managed to find a way to blame Antetokounmpo for the altercation. He then pointed out how in the wrong John Haliburton must have been for even his own son to publicly scold him.
“I think that Mr. Haliburton needs to understand this is a very, very big deal,” Smith said. “Your son sat on a podium in front of the media with the national television cameras rolling and said, ‘my dad was wrong.’ You have any idea how egregious that is? The son is having to check the father… because you act like you’re out there playing. You know, you’re not, you’re son is out there playing.”
As for how the NBA could punish John Haliburton, one would imagine that it could prohibit from from attending a certain number of games throughout the rest of the Pacers’ playoff run. While it’s unclear whether it will take such action, the older Haliburton has since taken to X to apologize for his behavior.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.