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The celebration isn’t exactly what the league calls ‘family-friendly, ‘ and the NBA has an established history of fining players who use it.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (AFP)
Tyrese Haliburton let his inner Sam Cassell take over, as the court turned into a dance floor after hitting the game-winner against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night.
But, thankfully for him, he will not pay a fine for it.
As the Cavaliers collected themselves for one last desperation shot, a subsequent replay showed Haliburton enjoying himself, Sam Cassell-style: hitting the iconic (and infamous) big-balls dance.
The celebration isn’t exactly what the league calls ‘family-friendly, ‘ and the NBA has an established history of fining players who use it.
But luckily for him, Haliburton received only a warning from the league office instead, AP reported.
The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Thursday because the decision had not been revealed publicly.
When asked about the possibility of a fine after Game 2, Haliburton indicated he had been waiting to use it for a long time and was ready for the fine.
“I’ve been waiting for that. I’ve been waiting for that, man,” Haliburton said after Game 2, when asked about the celebration and if 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.”
Haliburton fully expected a fine because celebrations similar to the one he used — believed to be first brought to the league by Sam Cassell long ago — merited such penalties from the NBA in the past. LeBron James, Eddie House, Julius Randle, Fred VanVleet, and more have previously drawn fines for what the league has described as an “obscene gesture.”
Haliburton’s 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left capped an Indiana rally from 20 points down and gave the Pacers a 120-119 win.
The Pacers now lead the series against the top-seeded Cavaliers 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 at Indianapolis on Friday and Sunday.
(with agency inputs)
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