Why Tyrese Haliburton is leaning into role as Knicks villain entering Eastern Conference finals

Yahoo

22-05-2025

Tyrese Haliburton embraced his role as the heel twice last year at MSG, both when the Pacers knocked out the Knicks in seven games in the second round of the playoffs and over the summer in a clash with Jalen Brunson at a WWE event.
Haliburton's level of hatred from the Garden crowd doesn't match the wrath the New York fans felt for Indiana predecessor Reggie Miller back in the '90s, but it should take another step forward with the Pacers facing the Knicks in the playoffs for the second straight year, beginning Wednesday night with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
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'For sure, it's a lot of fun, man. I think last year the series was a lot of fun, back and forth, it felt like nobody could win two in a row until we were able to do it [in Games 6 & 7],' Haliburton said earlier this week.
'Going into the series, I think that [the MSG fans] didn't like the [Pacers] organization, but I don't think there were certain guys that their fans didn't like.
Tyrese Haliburton is not beloved in New York. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
'But now they don't really like us too much. So it's all fun with it, man, and like I said, excited to add more chapters to this storied rivalry and just continue to be a part of it. I look forward to playing in that building, and I look forward to the crowd environment. It's a good thing.'
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Haliburton also joked that 'maybe it's a good thing that my dad won't be able to go,' after his father, John Haliburton, was banned by the Pacers from attending games for confronting Giannis Antetokounmpo on the court after the Indiana eliminated the Bucks in Game 5 of the first round.
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The two-time All-Star point guard averaged 21.3 points and 7.0 assists in the second-round series against the Knicks, and he will renew his friendly rivalry with Brunson now for a chance to reach the NBA Finals.
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The two guards are close after being teammates on Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in 2023, although only Haliburton was named to the U.S. Olympic team last summer.
Tyrese Haliburton shoots in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last year. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They also both participated in the WWE event at the Garden last June, with Brunson chasing Haliburton out of the ring with a folding chair. Haliburton responded, 'I'll be back' and 'you don't want to see me again.'
'It was exciting, obviously you guys know I'm a diehard WWE fan,' Haliburton said. 'I'm still trying to get [former wrestler] Triple H to come to a game. I'm working on it. Yeah, it's pretty cool that happened [last] summer and here we are, so it's a pretty cool storyline.
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'I'm sure it goes along with everybody that thinks there's a script.'
Hailburton (l) and Brunson (r) in the ring. @WWE/YouTube
Haliburton added that he has 'a really good relationship with WWE and Triple H,' so when they asked him to attend the event at the Garden he jumped at the chance.
'It was like, 'No question, I'll be there.' But I had no idea Jalen was going until I got there,' Haliburton said.
'They were like, 'Where's Jalen?' So I called Jalen and was like, 'Are you coming?' And he was like 'Yeah,' so I said, 'Oh, so we're really doing this, like, we're tying it all in.'
'I had no idea 'til we got there. I think he knew, but I had no idea. But, yeah, that was a pretty cool moment. Obviously it was a lifelong dream of mine to do anything with the WWE and to do it there, and to be booed and all that stuff was a lot of fun. A good time.
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'We had talked about it at the World Cup, so I always knew he was into it, so it was pretty cool that they were able to pull it off without any real leaks or anything.'
Tyrese Haliburton chirps at the fans during Game 7 last year. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Now, both Haliburton and Brunson will look to help their respective teams end lengthy droughts without reaching the NBA Finals.
The Knicks last went in 1999 and the Pacers in 2000, with each team defeating the other in the conference finals.
Miller played the primary Garden foil in those days. Haliburton fully is leaning into that role now.