What happens on the court, stays on the court. That’s the mantra the players believe in from day 1. But the day outsiders get involved with internal beefs, is when it all blows out of proportion. During the Bucks’ recent crashout against the Pacers in Game 5 of their first round series, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Haliburton’s father John were caught in a heated moment on the court. There were exachanges of profanities as well, in an incident the Greek dubbed “disrespectful”. But does anyone get flashbacks of LeBron James going through the same thing in 2008?
It was the Eastern Conference Semis, when a star-studded Celtics squad faced a withering Cavs. With LeBron and Paul Pierce going head-to-head, it seemed like all hell was about to break loose. And then it did. Pierce was seen grabbing and pulling the soon-to-be-King to the ground, ensuing chaos in Cleveland. This forced Bron’s mother Gloria James to jump in infuriation, like a mama bear protecting her little cub. But no player wants their parents involved. And that’s what LeBron acted on when he was caught asking his mom to “Sit your a– down!”
While these might not be hard copies of each other, they do come in the list of beef getting too personal in the NBA. Much the LeBron disser- Stephen A. Smith came to LeBron’s aid, defending the King’s actions from way back when.
“Kenny Smith brought up how LeBron James had basically told his mom, his own mother to sit down years ago when his mother had said something or clapped at some of the players. You don’t want that as a player. And I think that Mr. Haliburton needs to understand- this is a very, very big deal. Your son sat on a podium in front of the media with the national television cameras rolling and said, my dad was wrong. You have any idea how egregious that is? The son is having to check the father. And he stole the shine from his son’s moment,” said SAS on First Take.
Mar 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the first half Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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