Caitlin Clark super excited as Tyrese Haliburton's dad hits Pacers court weeks after his ban

On Saturday, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark was super excited as Tyrese Haliburton's dad, John, hit the Pacers' court weeks after his ban. John was banned by the NBA from attending games after an altercation with Giannis Antetokounmpo in round 1. However, he was spotted making his way to the court on Saturday night, after the Pacers' Game 6 win over the Knicks.

Clark shared a clip of Haliburton's dad on Instagram, as he was seen celebrating with the Pacers crowd while heading towards the court. The video showed John high-fiving and hugging fans, as she captioned the story with a single word.

"JOHN!!!!!," she wrote.

Caitlin Clark reacts to seeing John Haliburton amongst the crowd during the ECF

John Haliburton's suspension caused him to miss eight games before it was lifted by the NBA during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the league allowed him to attend Pacers home games but only under the condition that he remain in a suite.

The ban on Haliburton's dad stemmed from a post-game altercation between him and Bucks star Antetokounmpo on April 29. John went at it with the "Greek Freak" on the touchline after the Pacers had sealed a series win against the Milwaukee team. The duo were seen exchanging words before butting heads in a heated moment.

This altercation earned John a ban from the NBA, which saw him miss the Pacers' semifinal games against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also missed three games of the Eastern Conference finals before returning for Game 4.

Caitlin Clark and Fever teammates make a courtside appearance as the Pacers reach the NBA Finals

Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull were courtside in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals as the Pacers beat the Knicks 125-108. The win saw Indiana clinch its first Conference finals title in 25 years as Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam led from the front.

The Fever trio was photographed sitting courtside before the game as the Indiana Fever X (formerly Twitter) account shared a picture of the three.

"Supporting the squad, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull & Caitlin Clark are courtside for @Pacers Game 6," the caption read.

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The three Fever stars witnessed a piece of history at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, as the Pacers reached their first NBA Finals in over two decades. They now face the OKC Thunder in the Finals, with Game 1 set to take place at Paycom Center on Thursday.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by Bhargav