Michael Jordan's ex-teammate Etan Thomas urges sweeping reforms to prevent courtside altercations after Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton dad ruling
In Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Tyrese Haliburton came up big in the clutch to help his team advance to the second. However, it was his father that ended up being the biggest storyline of the night. Following the team's ruling on his actions, one former player chimed in with his thoughts.
Amidst the pandemonium of the Pacers celebrating, Haliburton's dad made his way to the floor. He proceeded to get into it with Giannis Antetokounmpo, trash-talking the former MVP after the series victory. Things ended up getting heated between the two, but they were separated before things could escalate further.
Not long after the encounter, it was revealed that Tyrese Haliburton's dad won't be in attendance for Pacers home games moving forward. Among the many to chime in on this ruling was Etan Thomas. The former teammate of Michael Jordan doesn't think this ruling should be permanent but agrees with the decision. He also feels repercussions like this need to extend all the way down to youth sports.
"Getting banned from your son’s games for the foreseeable future is crazy……but all his fault. I don’t think it should necessarily be forever but I have no problem with a precedent being set. Honestly, they should set that standard at all levels of sports including Youth Sports"
Thomas began his NBA journey with the Washington Wizards in the early 2000s. During that time, he got to play alongside MJ in his final seasons.
Tyrese Haliburton didn't agree with his father's antics towards Giannis Antetokounmpo
As expected, Tyrese Haliburton was asked questions about his father's actions during his postgame press conference. He said he spoke with him once he was made aware of the situation, and didn't agree with his antics on the court.
"Me and my pops have talked about that, and I don't agree with what transpired there from him," Haliburton said. "I think basketball is basketball and let's keep it on the court."
Unfortunate timing for Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers to go through something like this, having just advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals. That said, the league and team had to act fast to make sure things like this don't become a trend. Luckily it seems that both sides managed to clear the air and it shouldn't be an issue moving forward.
Following the latest ruling, Haliburton's dad will now be watching the rest of the postseason from home. Next up, the Pacers square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers to try and punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals.
