tyrese haliburton father john
Elsa/Getty
Tyrese Haliburton's dad is John Haliburton.
John Haliburton is the father of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. He made headlines for his confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
John and his wife, Brenda Haliburton, raised their son in Wisconsin. He has been a strong supporter of his son throughout his basketball career.
Here’s what you need to know about Tyrese Haliburton’s dad, John Haliburton:
1. John Haliburton Has Not Been Able to Attend His Son’s Games Since His Confrontation With Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo After the First Round of the 2025 Playoffs
Tyrese Haliburton isn’t the only one in his family making headlines during the 2025 playoffs. After Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers beat the Milwaukee Bucks in game 5 of the first round, John Haliburton confronted Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at court side.
Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game, “”I believe in being humble in victory. A lot of people out there that are like, no, when you win the game, you talk s*** and it’s a green light for you to be disrespectful towards somebody else. I disagree.”
John Haliburton said in a statement from the Pacers, “I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight’s game. This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again.”
His son told reporters, “I don’t agree with what transpired there from him. Basketball is basketball, and let’s keep it on the court. I think he just got excited, saw his son make a game winner and came on the court, but we had a conversation. … He needs to just allow me to play basketball and stay over there, and I’ll come to him to celebrate. But the emotions of the game got excited there. I talked with him. I’ll talk with Giannis. I don’t think my pops was in the right at all there.”
John Haliburton was asked by the Pacers to stay away from his son’s games indefinitely and the organization said he agreed with that decision.
2. Tyrese Haliburton Says His Dad ‘Preached to Me to Dream Big’ When He Was Growing Up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Tyrese Haliburton was raised by Brenda and John Haliburton in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. John and Brenda Haliburton have another son, Tyrese’s younger brother, Marcel.
Tyrese Haliburton said his parents pushed him toward his NBA dream. He told NBA.com, “It’s really crazy. I take a lot of my days to assess where I am and where I’m headed, and how crazy it is, especially where I come from. I guess that it’s, I’m a big dreamer. My dad has always preached to me to dream big and have faith in what you wanted to do.”
John Haliburton added, “You made my inner soul jump asking that. “When you say you want to be something and you believe you can be it with the help of God, it’s possible to happen. A lot of people talk about ‘God, God, God.’ That’s one thing. But the believing part is the ultimate victory. His word is still real.”
Tyrese’s father said, “When Tyrese made that decision, ‘I’m gonna be an NBA player’ — when he was real little I got him a shirt that said ‘NBA Player’ — he believed that. He never thought about anything else. In fact, we never talked about anything else [as a career choice].”
3. John Haliburton Is a Basketball Referee & Former Coach
John Haliburton has worked as a basketball coach and a referee, according to the Ames Tribune.
“I was going to basketball camp for first graders at preschool age,” Tyrese Haliburton told the Tribune.
4. Tyrese Haliburton Credited His Father John Haliburton With Putting ‘the Ball in His Hand’
While on “Inside the NBA” with his father, Tyrese Haliburton credited John with teaching him the game from a young age.
At a press conference after signing a contract extension with the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton said, “My pops, y’all know he’s the one who put the ball in my hand. My dad has always pushed me. He’s my biggest fan as you can see. … I’m really appreciative of you pops and your love.”
John Haliburton told Fieldhouse Files, “I wanted him to be a football player, that’s how good he was. Then his mom took over. Basketball has always been his focus. He did football for fun, but he was always focused on basketball. He was very good. I mean you threw the ball up — it could be in the sand, it could be in the trees, he went and got it. I was saying to myself, I got another Randy Moss. That’s what I was looking for.”
5. John Haliburton’s Celebration After His Son’s Game-Tying Shot Against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals Went Viral
John Haliburton watched the first game of the Pacers Eastern Conference Finals series against the Knicks from a bar in Indianapolis, and a video of him making the “choke” sign along with his son after Tyrese’s game-tying shot went viral.
After the game winner, Charles Barkley advocated for John Haliburton be allowed back at his son’s games. He said on “Inside the NBA,” that, “It’s time to let Mr. Haliburton back in the building.”
Addressing NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Barkley added, “Adam, I’m asking you, hey, my man paid his dues. He did something really, really stupid, but he’s been punished. … He’s been punished enough. He will never do something that stupid again.”