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Tyrese Haliburton did the dance. He will not pay a fine.
Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers guard who expected to be fined for his ‘big-balls’ dancing celebration after Game 2 of the Pacers’ win at Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night, received only a warning from the league office instead, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday because the decision had not been revealed publicly.
“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.”
It will be just a warning instead.
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 Van Vleet and more have previously drawn fines for what the league has described as an “obscene gesture.”
Social media commentators noted that Cleveland was an appropriate place for Haliburton’s celebration because the first similar big-balls dance was performed in 1994 by fictional Cleveland Indians baseball player Pedro Cerrano in “Major League II.”
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.
Several online clothing merchants have already rolled out T-shirts featuring Haliburton making the gesture.
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