Tyrese Haliburton-Sam Cassell dance: Pacers guard avoids fine for 'obscene' celebration

The Pacers pulled out a shocking comeback win over the Cavaliers in Game 2 of their second-round playoff matchup. Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton nailed the game-winner and celebrated in a way that was very familiar to veteran NBA fans.

With how big of a shot that was, Haliburton decided to pay homage to former NBA player Sam Cassell while cementing himself as a villain to the home Cleveland crowd. Haliburton himself expected a fine for the celebration, but on Thursday, it was reported he was merely "warned" by the NBA.

Here is more on Haliburton's celebration and the fact that he wasn't fined for it. 

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Tyrese Haliburton-Sam Cassell celebration

Haliburton was riding the high of the win, but by the time he talked to the press, reality had set in. The star guard was still amped up from the moment but admitted he was likely going to be receiving a fine. 

After nailing the fadeaway three-pointer, Cleveland had a chance to still get a shot off, but it went awry. Haliburton then cupped his hands below his waist and hopped down the court getting in the face of some Cavs and motioning toward the fans. Without being too crass, the guard was saying that he had plenty of testicular fortitude for coming up clutch in the moment and hitting a tough shot to win the game. 

After the game, Haliburton talked about the situation to reporters.

"I've been waiting for that. I've been waiting for that, man. 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."

Instead of a fine, the league just gave the guard a warning. He isn't the only player who has used the motion to celebrate a clutch shot. In response, the league has tended to say it was an obscene gesture and fined the player who performed it. Haliburton was quickly engulfed by teammates, so he was only able to do it slightly, so maybe that played a role in the ruling, but it is unclear why the league decided just to warn him. 

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What is the Sam Cassell dance?

It isn't really a dance, more of a motion. However, the "obscene" gesture that Haliburton went with is attributed to Sam Cassell.

Cassell first did the celebration in the early 2000s. He had just seen the movie "Major League II," and that's where he got the celebration from, per The Athletic. Cassell was once criticized for it by his former coach because he reportedly injured his hip doing it in the 2004 NBA Playoffs. His Timberwolves were bounced from the playoffs the next round, partially because he was playing hurt. 

Who else has done the Sam Cassell dance?

Haliburton and Cassell aren't the only players to perform the celebration. LeBron James, Eddie House, Julius Randle, and Fred VanVleet are among the players who have all been fined by the league for the dance. Cassell himself said that the coolest player he saw emulate it was Kobe Bryant. 

The NBA psuedo-banned the move during the 2010-2011 season, as it started fining players between $15,000 and $25,000 whenever it was used.