It all started as a proud dad moment, but quickly spiraled into controversy. Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John, just couldn’t hold back his emotions when Indiana won 119-118  in Game 5 against the Bucks. In a wild turn, he got so fired up courtside that security had to step in. And now he’s banned from future Pacers games. And their intensity between John and Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t just catch the crowd’s attention—it’s got NBA legends weighing in.

On one side, Magic Johnson tried to add a little perspective to the situation. “I didn’t want to comment on it because I like Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, but sometimes our emotions get the best of us, and I think that’s what happened to him,” he wrote on X.

Still, not everyone took the high road. Vernon Maxwell—aka Mad Max—pulled zero punches on the All the Smoke podcast. “So what I thought, I was like, s–t, wow, what I would have done. I don’t know, I probably would have hit him with a toothpaste. But I’m saying that ain’t the right s–t to do.” Then, when Matt Barnes added that “It could have escalated,” Maxwell fired back, “Absolutely.”

But that wasn’t even the wildest part. Maxwell didn’t just stop at reacting—he hinted at alcohol as the reason behind the incident. “But, you know, at these games, man, where you can drink that fu–ing alcohol… you got to cut these mother fu–ers off,” he ranted. “This man done had four, five, six, come on, man, this mother fu—-r got to get cut off.” It’s a harsh accusation, but not totally out of left field, given how chaotic things got.

Thankfully, Tyrese Haliburton himself stepped up with a mature take after the game. “Me and my pops had talked about that, and I don’t agree with what transpired there from him,” he admitted. While understanding his dad’s excitement after the game-winner, he made it clear: “I think he should just allow me to play basketball, stay over there, and I’ll come to him to celebrate.” A fair boundary, considering all the noise.

And, in the end, everyone just seemed relieved that nothing worse came out of it. “I’m just glad nothing escalated, but he did take away from the sunshine from winning the first round,” Maxwell said. But what’s next?

Pacers sideline Tyrese Haliburton’s dad after heated playoff moment

After all the back-and-forth surrounding John Haliburton’s intense exchange with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Pacers have decided to hit pause. For now, Tyrese Haliburton’s dad won’t be attending any more playoff games—home or away. It’s a pretty clear message from the franchise after things got a little too fired up during their series-clinching win.

Apparently, the incident went down right after Tyrese nailed what ended up being the game-winner. According to USA Today, John got up from his courtside seat, waving a towel with his son’s face on it, and started yelling at Giannis. The moment was captured on video, with someone quickly stepping in to de-escalate, while the crowd roared in celebration. Giannis, stunned by the outburst, didn’t react in the heat of the moment. John later shared a public apology online for his behavior.

Even with the apology out there, the Pacers front office didn’t take it lightly. The team’s brass sat down with John and decided he wouldn’t be in the stands for their next matchups. “The Pacers have decided that John Haliburton will not attend any more games,” confirmed Michael Preston, the team’s VP of basketball communications. With Indiana now facing off against the top-seeded Cavaliers, the focus is back on the hardwood, but the echo of that courtside clash still lingers.

To his credit, Giannis accepted the apology but didn’t sugarcoat how he felt. “Coming to me and disrespecting me and cursing at me, I think, is totally unacceptable,” he said after the game. Tyrese also chimed in, saying he didn’t agree with what his dad did. Now, with 2-0 lead, the spotlight shifts to how the Pacers move forward without the most passionate dad in the building.