Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton says fan called his brother “an N-word" during game

According to an NBC News report earlier today (April 24), Tyrese Haliburton disclosed that a fan directed a racial slur at his younger brother. The alarming act was said to have happened during Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday (April 21). The point guard, speaking after the Pacers' Game 2 victory on Tuesday (April 23), expressed the gravity of the incident and emphasized the importance of addressing such behavior.

“My little brother in the stands the other day was called an N-word,” Haliburton stated during the post-game interview. “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 is handled that the right way.”

A spokesman for the Bucks responded to Haliburton about the incident. According to the organization, the situation came to light after staff noticed a few attendees who were sitting where they weren’t supposed to.

"The guest services representative asked the group to move one section over to their correct seats. Then, one of the individuals in the group claimed to the representative that a person sitting in front of him had used a derogatory term toward him," the statement read. "The accused person denied the accusation. The group moved to their correct seats and no further incident was reported. We take our fan environment extremely seriously and are committed to providing a safe and secure experience.”

Haliburton's revelation carries special weight as he made his playoff debut in his home state, having grown up and attended high school in nearby Oshkosh, WI. The third game of the tied series moves to Indianapolis, IN this Friday (April 26).

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