Charles Barkley calls Tyrese Haliburton’s dad an “idiot” amid heated debate with Shaquille O'Neal

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal were on opposing sides following the controversial confrontation on Tuesday between Tyrese Haliburton’s father and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Inside the NBA hosts, who covered the Game 5 showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers, discussed the incident on national TV. O’Neal was adamant that John Haliburton was not wrong with what he did.

Barkley responded to O’Neal’s point:

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“You can’t do that. His dad was 100% wrong. What is his dad doing on the court?! His dad is not supposed to be on the court. He’s an idiot, and if you think that’s right, you’re an idiot, too.”

Kenny Smith sided with Sir Chuck:

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“We all have met his dad. You don’t have an entitlement because your son is playing.”

Tyrese Haliburton led an 8-0 blast by the Pacers in overtime to escape with a 119-118 win. The star point guard scored the game-winning layup against Giannis Antetokounmpo to give his team a series-clinching victory.

When the final buzzer sounded, John Haliburton went on the court and taunted the two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo revealed in his postgame conference that Haliburton’s father “disrespected” him and cursed at him. According to the All-Star forward, celebrating the win was natural, but he would not tolerate the abuse.

The younger Haliburton said in his press conference that what his father did was wrong. He said his dad could not hold back his emotions and entered the court to taunt an opposing player. Haliburton added that he would eventually talk to Antetokounmpo.

A few hours after the controversial incident, John Haliburton apologized on X (formerly Twitter).

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Charles Barkley said Tyrese Haliburton’s father would blow a “gasket” if somebody disrespected his son

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal doubled down on their opposing stances following the presser of Tyrese Haliburton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Shaq insisted that what happened “comes with the territory.” Barkley and Kenny Smith opposed his view.

Sir Charles added to the discussion:

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“If the Cavaliers were to beat [Pacers] and one of their family members did that to his son, he’d blow a gasket. He would blow a gasket. … Haliburton’s dad would go crazy ‘cause he knew that was wrong.”

Game 1 of the semifinal series between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be on Saturday. The clash in opinions between Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal could loom over this series. Regardless of the outcome, fans will likely look forward to what they have to say.

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