"No evidence", "Shouldn't ignore allegations" - NBA fans indulge in heated debate over Tyrese Haliburton's brother's racism accusation

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers have even the series against the Milwaukee Bucks after Game 2 of the opening round. However, what the Pacers star spoke about in the postgame conference has posed a serious question for the league.

Tyrese Haliburton told media that his younger brother was addressed by a Bucks fan with a racial slur.

"My little brother in the stands the other day was called an N-word.”

According to Tyrese Haliburton, the incident took place during Game 1 and the two-time NBA All-Star said that his family was in Milwaukee and everyone wanted to address the issue as a family.

“It was important for us as a family to just address that. That was important for us to talk about because that didn’t sit right with anybody in our family. It’s just been important to have my family here right now, and my little brother’s handled that the right way.”

The Milwaukee Bucks later reported that one of the few guests in the arena had complained to the guest service representative that the person sitting in front of them had used a racial slur against them. According to the statement, the representative asked the accused about the allegations, and after his denial, no further action was taken.

NBA fans on Reddit were divided on the incident. Some believe that some players fabricate drama, downplaying the incident. Others opined that the racial slur allegations by Tyrese Halibrton's brother were a grave issue and the Bucks should have done a better job at handling the situation.

MemoryLaps said that while the staff in the arena should not ignore allegations, the punishment should be based on evidence.

“Staff shouldn't ignore allegations that can be supported by solid corroborating evidence. On the other hand, if they can't find solid corroborating evidence, then I obviously shouldn't be punished.”

Downplaying it as a drama, Electrical_Figs wrote,

“Has there been a worse attempt at manufacturing drama?”

MemoryLaps wrote,

“People shouldn't have to put up with getting called the n-word when they are out in public. Additionally, if someone says they were called the n-word, staff looks into it, and nobody is punished, then I want to know why not.”

“My view is that we shouldn't waste brain cells on these jussie smollet non-stories that don't even make sense and have no evidence,” Electrical_Figs wrote again.

MemoryLaps replied to another fan questioning the word “professionals” for the Bucks staff,

“The Bucks staff that investigated it and found nothing worth punishing. Are you really going to pick a fight with me because I chose to call them professionals?”

Black_dogs_22 said that the matter should be put to rest until the culprit is found,

“a fan was an asshole? let's shut down everything until we find him so we can draw an quarter him. there's simply no other way.”

Will Bucks and NBA take Tyrese Haliburton’s comments seriously?

The NBA has a zero-tolerance policy against any racial slurs thrown against the players on the court or against any fellow fans in the arena. Previously on several occasions, there have been actions against fans who have used the N-word in the arena

Either they have had to lose their seat, either banned for a lifetime or for a few games, depending on the severity of the incident. Several fans have been involved in using racial slurs against players as well.

Tyrese Haliburton is one of the brightest stars in the league and any racial allegations by a fan or the player are taken utmost seriously by the league. There is a high chance that either the league will talk to Tyrese Haliburton’s brother about the incident or set up their own investigation to look into the matter.

Although the Bucks have already given their statement regarding the incident, the controversial incident does put them in a tough spot. The Bucks might also further their investigation of the incident.