Barkley Urges NBA, Pacers to Allow Tyrese Haliburtons Father to Return to Games
In the aftermath of the Indiana Pacers' overtime win against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night, NBA legend Charles Barkley called on commissioner Adam Silver to allow Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton's father, John, to attend Games 3 and 4 of the series in Indianapolis.
John hasn't attended a Pacers game since his on-court confrontation with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round of the playoffs. During that game, John sprinted out onto the court and started taunting Antetokounmpo, who was caught off guard by the sudden outburst. The two later had an emotional exchange and were separated by officials.
Tyrese immediately called out his father after the game, saying he didn't "think my Pops was in the right," while Antetokounmpo went on a long emotional tangent about his upbringing and his belief in being humble in victory. John apologized the next morning, but a team spokesperson confirmed that he would not attend the team's games, either home or away, "for the foreseeable future."
It's unclear what the terms of John's absence are, whether he was banned by the team, the league, or if he willingly agreed to take a step back. Regardless, John has not attended a game since and missed all of the Pacers' series with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as Wednesday's Game 1 win over the Knicks.
Barkley believes that John has paid his dues and has been punished enough for his actions. "He did something really, really stupid," Barkley said on TNT. "But he's been punished. I'm asking you and the Indiana Pacers to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building for Games 3 and 4. He shouldn't be indefinitely banned. He's been punished enough, and he will never do anything that stupid again."
Whether Silver or the Pacers agree with Barkley remains to be seen. After Friday's Game 2, the series will shift back to Indianapolis on Sunday night. Only time will tell if John will be allowed to attend future games and if he will be able to make amends for his actions on the court.
