Giannis Antetokounmpo breaks silence on heated exchange with Haliburton’s father after Bucks’ loss vs Indiana

On Tuesday night, the 2025 playoffs saw their first major upset. The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 in overtime, clinching their spot in the semifinals with a commanding 4-1 series win. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a tense encounter with Tyrese Haliburton’s father.

The young guard played a pivotal role in the Pacers’ victory, hitting the game-winning shot with just one second left on the clock—sparking wild celebrations at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. But the spotlight quickly shifted to Giannis, who was caught by television cameras in the aftermath, standing on the court still processing the heartbreaking loss.

At that moment, Haliburton’s father approached and spoke to him for a few seconds, prompting a look of disbelief from the Greek superstar. Pat Connaughton then stepped in to join his teammate, seemingly defusing the situation.

However, Antetokounmpo quickly turned back toward the man who had taunted him, confronting him face to face in a significantly more intense exchange. The standoff lasted only a few seconds, during which they traded words, before the Bucks power forward walked away visibly upset.

What did Giannis say about the exchange with Haliburton’s father?

In the postgame press conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed the incident and shared his version of events. “Losing a game, emotions run high, having a fan, which at the moment I thought it was a fan, but then I realized it was Tyrese’s dad — I love Tyrese, I think he’s a great competitor — coming in the floor and showing me his son’s towel, with his face, ‘This is what we do.’ I feel like that’s very very disrespectful,” said the 2021 NBA champion.

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“I believe in being humble in the victory. That’s how I am. There can be a lot of people out there that are like, ‘No, when you win a game, it’s a green light for you to be disrespectful to somebody else.’ I disagree,” added the Greek star. “I’ve won a championship, they haven’t. That doesn’t mean anything, I’m not trying to minimize their effort.”

Giannis reiterated how he felt about Haliburton’s father’s actions. “I’m happy for him, I’m happy for his son. That’s how you’re supposed to feel. But coming to me and disrespecting me, and cursing at me, I think it’s totally unacceptable,” Antetokounmpo said. He later clarified: “I talked with him at the end, and I think we’re in a good place.”

What did Haliburton say about the incident between his father and Giannis?

Tyrese Haliburton also addressed the tense moment between his father and Antetokounmpo, speaking candidly. “I don’t think that my pops was right at all there,” said the Indiana guard. “I don’t agree with what transpired there from him. I think basketball is basketball and let’s keep it on the court.”

Tyrese revealed that he spoke with his father to make his position clear. “We had a conversation and I think he needs to just allow me to play basketball, stay over there and I’ll come to him to celebrate. I think it’s the emotions of the game, just got excited there,” said Haliburton. “I’ll talk with him, I’ll talk with Giannis eventually about it.”