Tyrese Haliburton's pettiness toward Milwaukee has no bounds

Tyrese Haliburton wearing a Cubs jersey on the sidelines during Indiana's preseason game over the weekend was no coincidence. That same day, the Cubs were in Milwaukee to face the Brewers for a do-or-die Game 5 for a chance to reach the National League Championship Series. The man who has become an enemy of Milwaukee for his battles with the Bucks is not changing anytime soon.

The Wisconsin native remains public enemy No. 1 in Milwaukee

Haliburton grew up in Oshkosh, just a few hours from Milwaukee. Yet, due to his part in the new rivalry between the Bucks and Pacers, he doesn't have too many fans in the state. To his credit, Haliburton is the one laughing right now, as his Pacers are 2-0 in these playoff matchups over the last two seasons. Injuries have played a part for Milwaukee, of course, but all that matters is the win-loss record.

Obviously, Haliburton is justified in being anti-Bucks, but also had a valid reason to root against the team in his home state. On a past episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Haliburton revealed that he was supposed to throw out the first pitch at a Brewers game in 2024, but it was canceled after the Pacers knocked the Bucks out of the postseason. The guard clearly didn't take too kindly to that.

It was a reasonable stance by the Brewers. Despite Haliburton's Wisconsin ties, he would have been booed beyond belief had he stepped foot on that field. No one wants that. Unfortunately, it may have given Haliburton some added motivation when he faced the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs once again.

This rivalry isn't going anywhere. Too much has happened. While past Milwaukee rivalries with teams like the Heat and Celtics were all about basketball, this one has featured extracurricular activities. There was the incident when the Pacers took the game ball after Giannis Antetokounmpo's career night. No one forgets Haliburton's dad showboating to Giannis directly after Milwaukee's recent loss.

Even with Haliburton likely to miss the entire NBA season with a torn Achilles, the rivalry will carry on in his absence. The Pacers certainly aren't happy that the Bucks stole Myles Turner from them. The Bucks want to pound the Pacers into the ground after falling against them in the last two playoffs. Even from the sidelines, Haliburton will likely be instigating as he does.

Things aren't dying down anytime soon.

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