Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton revealed a shocking incident that occurred during the opening game of their playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Born in Wisconsin, close to Milwaukee, the Indiana guard was technically playing in his home state. When Haliburton was asked to share his experience debuting the playoff series in his state, he disclosed the racial insult that his younger brother had to face at the Fiserv Forum.
Speaking to the reporters after Tuesday’s game, Tyrese Haliburton said, “My little brother in the stands the other day was called the N-word.”
He continued to add, “It was important for us as a family to just address that. And that was important for us to talk about because that just didn’t sit right with anybody in our family. It’s just been important to have my family here right now.” The 24-year-old further stated that his brother handled the situation well enough despite the serious insult hurled at him.
Tyrese Haliburton says his little brother was called the N-word by a Bucks fan in Game 1, per @KellyIko. pic.twitter.com/FvcAeuPHTH
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 24, 2024
The game was supposed to be a special one having his family members in attendance to cheer for him, however, it turned into a nightmare because of the derogatory term used by a fan.
The Bucks won the first game, but thanks to Pascal Siakam’s heroics, the Pacers tied the series in Game 2. Haliburton contributed a double-double in the 125-108 victory with 12 points and 12 assists, however, the incident he disclosed overshadowed it, raising questions about the NBA’s security measures.
Tyrese Haliburton’s brother’s racism issue raises question over NBA security
According to Dustin Dopirak of Indianapolis Star, the incident was reported to the stadium security, but no actions were taken to remove the fans who created the nuisance. This raises a big question mark on the league’s security measures which failed to perform efficiently.
Per league source, building security was notified of the incident involving Tyrese's brother, but the fan was not removed from the game.
— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) April 24, 2024
Following Haliburton’s comments, a Bucks spokesperson opened up about the matter as per ESPN. The person stated that there was a group of fans who weren’t in their seats. On being asked by the guest service representative to move back to their actual seats, they informed that a fan sitting in front of them said something demeaning.
The accused did not agree to it, so the group eventually moved back to their seats and there were no further escalations. There have been many incidents reported in the past, but the NBA has remained silent on the matter.
If Tyrese Haliburton decides to avenge his brother’s insult by taking the series away from the Bucks, Milwaukee fans might want to find that alleged person for ruining their season.
