Tyrese Haliburton was really feeling himself on Tuesday night, and he fully expected the NBA to fine him because of it.
During a celebration about his team beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Haliburton performed a gesture that some might not deem family-friendly.
But he didn’t care about the league pushing back and fining him because of it.
“I’ve been waiting for that. I’ve been waiting for that, man,” Haliburton said after Game 2, when asked about the celebration and whether he expected to hear from the league. “It was just right in the moment. It was right in the moment. Yeah, man, I’ve been waiting for that. I’ll take that fine, gladly.”
In the end, the NBA determined that it would only hit Haliburton with a warning instead of a financial fine.
The gesture in question was allegedly started by Sam Cassell many years ago but has been mimicked by many others, including Julius Randle and LeBron James.
Those players were often slapped with a fine for the obscene gesture, but Haliburton will walk away with only a threat that he shouldn’t do it again.
Haliburton was feeling great after he sank a deft three-pointer with just 1.1 seconds left.
His Pacers had come back from a 20-point deficit and were about to cap off an incredible night and take a 2-0 lead in the series.
No wonder he was so happy and wanted to show it.
Haliburton said he would gladly pay any fine for his celebration, but he won’t have to, at least not this time.
In the games ahead, there will be other moments when Haliburton feels great about his output on the court and his team’s chances.
Will he resist the urge to show his feelings in this specific way, or will he end up paying a hefty amount?
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