May 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) brings the ball up court during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game five of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pacers Want Tyrese Haliburton's Dad to Attend ECF

Originally posted on Indianapolis Pacers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated May 15, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Indiana Pacers are in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row. They were swept by the Boston Celtics a year ago once they got there, so they are hoping for a better result this time around.

Boston is one of the teams that could be facing the Pacers in this year's Eastern Conference Finals. It will be either the Celtics or the Knicks that the Pacers take on.

In the first round of the playoffs against the Bucks, Tyrese Haliburton had some big moments. Late in the series, his dad made headlines for how he was acting toward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After that happened, the NBA decided that John Haliburton was no longer going to be attending games. They said that he was not going to be in attendance "for the foreseeable future," leaving the door open for him to return.

In an interview with Pat McAfee, Tyrese Haliburton revealed that both he and the Pacers want his dad to be back in attendance for games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

"I think my dad is enjoying watching the games from the house..

I called him after the game and the whole team got on the phone..

Everybody was like free pops until it's backwards"

@TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Nz266JbSyn
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 14, 2025

It's unclear what the NBA is going to do with Haliburton's dad. It would be a shame if they didn't allow him to attend these games against a hated rival, as long as John Haliburton doesn't have the same behavior he did in the Milwaukee series.

Tyrese did mention that his dad is enjoying watching games at his house, which makes sense. His house is really nice, and he doesn't have to yell at anyone or risk getting in trouble.

More Pacers news: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton Is Becoming Elite Playoff Performer

The Pacers would love for Tyrese to be able to share the joy of winning with his dad in the building. It's unfortunate that his dad got too caught up in the moment against Milwaukee to even make this an issue.

If John Haliburton is in attendance for any games in the Eastern Conference Finals, he must be on his best behavior. If there is any shred of a repeat incident, he won't be welcomed back to any games left in the playoffs.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Pacers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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