Dads can be embarrassing. The flashlight on their smart phone is always on for no reason, they put way too much effort into creating a rapport with waitstaff, and they are always nearly getting themselves killed by Giannis Antetokounmpo on national television.
As far as we know, only that last one applies to Tyrese Haliburton’s father, who managed to turn himself into the big storyline of last night’s Game 5 clash between the Bucks and Pacers, which ended in a series-clinching win for Indiana following a horrendous collapse by Milwaukee. Let’s run through the collapse before we get to the dad content.
Antetokounmpo, facing elimination without Damian Lillard by his side, put in a heroic effort, logging 44 minutes and finishing the game with 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists. That was enough to earn the Bucks a 118–111 lead with 39 seconds left to play. After the Pacers rebounded a missed AJ Green free throw, Andrew Nembhard pulled up from just inside the logo and splashed a three to make it 118–114. Doc Rivers called a timeout, and then Gary Trent Jr. got himself trapped on the sideline after receiving the inbounds pass. He threw the ball directly to Nembhard, who then passed it to Tyrese Haliburton. The star Pacers guard drove from the three-point line to the rim, made the layup, and drew a foul. Haliburton hit the free throw to make it 118–117, at which point Rivers called another timeout. The ball was inbounded successfully this time, but two passes later found itself going straight through Trent’s legs and out of bounds. With 10.8 seconds left, Haliburton got the ball, isolated against Antetokounmpo, drove past him, and hit the game-winning layup.
Right as the buzzer sounded, Tyrese Haliburton’s father, who was stationed under Milwaukee’s basket, walked onto the court while holding up a novelty towel with his son’s face on it. Antetokounmpo, coming to terms with the fact that his season had just ended and that he may very well have just played his last game with the Bucks, was just standing there minding his own business with Haliburton’s dad decided to wave the towel in his face and talk shit. One camera angle from inside the arena shows Antetokounmpo staring in disbelief possibly running through all the reputational and financial consequences that would come with punching this older, normal-sized man in the throat.
Antetokounmpo ultimately did not opt for punching, but he did make his way over to where Papa Haliburton was celebrating, got the old man in his clutches, and delivered some pointed feedback.
Antetokounmpo was asked about the confrontation during his postgame press conference, at which point he delivered a nearly four-minute monologue on parenting, the importance of humility, and the immigrant experience. The whole thing is worth watching, if for no other reason than it may be the first and last time we’ll ever see an Atlantic essay delivered as postgame soundbite:
Tyrese Haliburton used his postgame press conference to make it clear that he didn’t condone his father’s actions. “I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there,” he said.
Antetokounmpo will certainly come out ahead in all this. The restraint he showed while getting mad-dogged by an old-timer following one of the lowest moments of his professional career was impressive, and his remembrance of his late father’s humility was sweetly delivered. It must be said, however, that over the last few seasons Antetokounmpo has been more effective at delivering end-of-season life lessons from the dais than he has been at winning playoff games. Listening to Antetokounmpo talk through defeat can be entertaining and even a little enlightening, but everyone, Antetokounmpo included, would probably prefer to see him consistently going on the type of deep playoff runs that would negate the need for these monologues.
