No script needed. Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson ready for playoff rematch after WWE showdown

Indianapolis Star

19-05-2025

INDIANAPOLIS -- Lifelong professional wrestling fan Tyrese Haliburton appreciates a good heel storyline, so it wasn't a tough sell to get him to get him to play one at the world's most famous arena.
The Pacers star already had a sense that Knicks fans were developing legit animosity toward him after the Indiana took down the Knicks in seven games in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, beating them in New York with a record-setting shooting performance in Game 7. So when WWE approached him about appearing in Madison Square Garden for a "Smackdown" event in late June, that wasn't even hard call.
"I have a really good relationship with WWE, really good relationship with Triple H," Haliburton said after practice Monday in preparation for the Pacers' upcoming rematch with the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. "I got a call that they wanted me to come to the Garden. I'm like, 'Pfftt. No question I'll be there.'"
But he didn't know who else was coming. WWE had also contacted Knicks All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, who Haliburton had become close friends with on Team USA at the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Haliburton knew Brunson was a WWE fan, and they hadn't discussed anything about the "Smackdown" event.
"Had no idea Jalen was going until I got there and they're like, 'Where's Jalen?'" Haliburton said. "I called Jalen and I'm like, 'Are you coming?' And he's like' 'Yeah,' and I was like, 'Oh, so we're really doing this thing? We're really tying this all together.' I had no idea until we got there. I think he knew, but I had no idea."
Brunson's presence meant he'd be in even more of a heel role as the two-time All-Star and NBA Clutch Player of the Year has become perhaps the most beloved active athlete in New York. But Haliburton gladly played the part.
Haliburton had just had a black T-shirt made that said Tyrese 3:17 on the front — a reference to 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's Austin 3:16 but changed to include the Indianapolis area code — and wore that with cutoff jean shorts and boots.
During a three-man event involving wrestlers Logan Paul and LA Knight, Paul motioned for him to go get a set of brass knuckles from one of his friends and join the fight. Brunson, playing more of a white hat, came out of the stands to stop Haliburton from getting involved and Knight ended up winning the match. Afterward, Paul and Haliburton lined up together and seemed to be preparing to gang up on Knight, but Brunson entered the ring with a steel folding chair which ultimately drove them away. Haliburton and Brunson spent several moments on stage together jawing at each other as if they were about to fight — something obviously neither their teams nor agents would allow — before Haliburton ultimately left the ring with Paul. During the whole scene Haliburton was righteously booed and seemed to welcome it.
"Obviously a life-long dream of mine to do anything with WWE," Haliburton said. "To do it there and be booed and all that stuff was a lot of fun."
Brunson was asked about the experience by reporters in New York on Monday and didn't have as much detail to add, but did say it was something he enjoyed being a part of.
"It was a cool experience for both of us, something that you just check off your bucket list," Brunson said. "A really cool experience to be a part of that."
With the Knicks and Pacers back in the Eastern Conference Finals, WWE has taken its moment to capitalize on the return. Triple H quote-tweeted ESPN's announcement of Pacers-Knicks as the Eastern Conference Finals pairing and posted a picture of him with Haliburton and one of him with Brunson with the caption "It's almost like we wrote it..."
Haliburton got a laugh out of that.
"It's pretty cool that happened this summer and here we are," he said. "It's a pretty cool storyline. I'm all into long-term booking and all those things. I'm sure it goes along with everybody who thinks there's a script and think Triple H had something to do with it. I'm excited about that."