Things got heated on the court on Tuesday night following the Milwaukee Bucks‘ season-ending Game 5 loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was seen getting into it with the father of Tyrese Haliburton, who, for his part, appeared to have mocked the Bucks superstar after the final buzzer.
There has been a lot of talk about the incident among the fans, with folks having dissenting views over what transpired. The same can be said about the “Inside the NBA” crew, who also could not agree on who was in the wrong here.
Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson all took Antetokounmpo’s side by arguing that Haliburton’s dad should not have been on the court in the first place. Shaquille O’Neal, however, was having none of it, and he had a clear message for Antetokounmpo over his role in the scuffle.
“I’m not saying [Haliburton’s dad] is right, I’m just saying don’t be a punk and whine about it,” O’Neal said of Antetokounmpo. “It comes with the territory. It happens. You lose and you move on.”
The intensity inside Studio J nearly matched the fire on the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as O’Neal refused to back down from his claim. It turned into a bit of a shouting match between the hosts, with Barkley and the rest of the crew ganging up on O’Neal and trying to explain to him why Haliburton’s dad is to blame for the incident.
O’Neal pointed out that he experienced that same situation many times during his 19-year NBA career, and claims that he never reacted the way Antetokounmpo did on Tuesday night.
“It comes with the territory, and you don’t hear me whine about it. When I lose, I go home and regroup and come back. That’s all I’m saying,” he concluded.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
For what it’s worth, Haliburton’s father has already apologized to Antetokounmpo and the Bucks for his actions. “This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again,” he posted on X.
Be that as it may, it does not seem like this is going to change O’Neal’s strong opinion about the issue at hand.
