The NBA Finals are supposed to be a warzone, right? Every possession is a dogfight, every matchup a personal battle. And right now, in Game 1, the Oklahoma City Thunder are absolutely bringing the heat, taking a commanding 57-45 lead over the Indiana Pacers into halftime. But while the on-court action is as intense as expected, a moment happened just before the game that was the complete opposite – a surprisingly cool, wholesome picture of unity that reminds you what sports are all about, even on the biggest stage.
Just ahead of Game 1, in a moment that quickly started making the rounds on social media, SGA’s dad, Vaughan Alexander, and Hali’s dad, John Haliburton, actually linked up and posed for a picture together. How cool is that? In the middle of all the pre-Finals tension and media frenzy, you have these two fathers, whose sons are about to lead their teams into battle for a championship, just sharing a quiet moment of mutual respect and, you have to imagine, incredible pride. It was just a simple, wholesome photo, but it spoke volumes.
And let’s be real, both of these dads have been front and center, passionately supporting their sons throughout this entire playoff run. We all saw SGA’s dad, Vaughan, on the court after the Thunder won the Western Conference Finals. He was so proud, he was holding Shai’s WCF MVP trophy a little too comfortably, prompting a laughing SGA to call him out, “You acting like it’s yours!” Vaughan then playfully pretended to pocket the trophy.
Then you’ve got John Haliburton, who Tyrese has called his “biggest fan my whole life.” John’s journey to this Finals has been a rollercoaster in itself. Remember earlier in the playoffs, after that on-court confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round, he was actually barred from attending games for a while? Tyrese himself said his dad “was wrong” but that the commentary got “a little ridiculous,” adding, “I don’t think any of us want to be defined by our worst moments… Love my pops dearly.”
(This is a developing story…)
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