Latest news with #HansPerez
Indianapolis Star
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Game 4's special guest: 'I've been getting my chops busted all my life for being a Pacers fan'
The Indiana Pacers rolled out the blue and gold carpet for their biggest fan from New York. Hans Perez, who weathered abuse from Knicks fans on the streets of Manhattan last week, got a ride downtown from the Indianapolis Fire Department after arriving for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Perez, a New York firefighter, was invited to Tuesday night's game by Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. They made the connection on "The Pat McAfee Show." Perez joined McAfee outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where he said he heard from a lot of people in New York who didn't like seeing him get garbage thrown at him. "They're giving me a lot of credit for holding it down, telling me that wasn't right," he said. But a lot of his neighbors and family are giving him grief — more politely — for cheer on New York's enemy.
New York Post
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Viral Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him by rowdy Knicks nuts gets hero's welcome in Indiana for Game 4
Hans Perez has arrived. The Pacers fan, who went viral for having trash thrown at him by Knicks fans for wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey, touched down in Indiana for Game 4 on Tuesday — a guest of the team and the star guard. Haliburton offered up a bounty of prizes for Perez, a firefighter who went viral as Knicks fans harassed him outside of Madison Square Garden. Advertisement 3 One of Hans Perez's first stops in Indiana was the set of the 'Pat McAfee Show.' Pat McAfee Show / X Perez found himself getting a very different kind of welcome in Indiana: members of the Indianapolis Fire Department and Indiana International Airport staff met him at the gate and ferried him across the city in a firetruck. Advertisement 'Tyrese did great, he laid out the red carpet for me,' he said on the 'Pat McAfee Show' on Tuesday. 'It's been awesome, as soon as I got out [of] the gate at the airport, I got five service guys waiting for me, the whole airport was there taking pictures of me. I pull up to the hotel, I got the Pacemates, I got Boomer waiting for me. 'This is awesome, this is great.' The next venture was offering an update to McAfee and his crew — eight days after Haliburton made his overture to Perez live. Advertisement It's been a whirlwind since, with Perez adjusting to his newfound fame, even if some elements remain familiar. 'I've been getting my chops busted all my life for being a Pacers fan… now the whole fire department knows I'm a Pacers fan,' he said. 'My daughter's softball game, all the parents are coming up to me, oh my God.' Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series. Many have offered encouraging words following his viral fame, despite being subjected to bags of trash being hurled at him, including by several Knicks fans, he told McAfee. Advertisement 'That's not right, not how you treat people,' he said of their messages to him. 'They're showing support, giving me a lot of credit. 3 Knicks fans follow Hans Perez in his Pacers jersey after a Game 6 win over the Celtics. X, @PAtMcAfeeShow 3 Perez was harassed by Knicks fans on the streets outside Madison Square Garden. The biggest prize for Perez is set for Tuesday night, however, when he'll be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse to watch his team take on the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. With his beloved Pacers up in the series, Perez sees no reason for that to change — even if his pals at home won't like his prediction. 'We're going up 3-1 tonight,' he said. 'The Pacers are gonna get the job done. Knicks are in trouble.'
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tyrese Haliburton invites heckled Pacers fan to attend Eastern Conference finals Game 4
An Indiana Pacers fan who was harassed and hit with bags of garbage while wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey in New York City has received a special invitation from the Pacers star to attend Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis. Hans Perez, a firefighter and lifelong Pacers supporter, shared his story Monday on 'The Pat McAfee Show.' During the appearance, Perez showed off a Pacers tattoo on his wrist and was surprised by a video call from Haliburton, who delivered the invitation personally. Advertisement 'I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for Game 4,' Haliburton said. 'Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of.' … 'All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about.' Perez went viral over the weekend after a video showed him being followed and heckled by a crowd of Knicks fans in the streets of New York following their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics. Despite being hit with bags of trash, he kept walking calmly, drawing widespread attention online. 'It started getting a little more handsy. Dudes wanted the jersey. I started to get a little nervous,' he told McAfee, saying he started looking for police. 'The mob started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I'm just trying to walk.' Haliburton and McAfee both expressed sympathy for Perez, who was moved by the gesture. Haliburton invited Perez and a guest to attend Game 4 against the Knicks next Tuesday. Perez, excited by the news, responded with a spirited 'Let's go Pacers!' chant and said he'd figure out how to take the day off work to make it happen. 'I'm pretty sure we can work something out,' he said. The series between the Knicks and Pacers will be a physical one with bad blood, as it's a rematch from last year's playoffs. It took Indiana seven games to get past the Knicks and reach the 2024 Eastern Conference finals. In that victory, Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffered a fracture in his shooting hand. Game 1 between the Pacers and Knicks tips off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. ET.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Pacers fan brutally abused by Knicks supporters outside MSG gets perfect gift from Tyrese Haliburton
Hans Perez, the Indiana Pacers fan and firefighter who was seen taking verbal and physical abuse from Knicks fans, will attend Game 4 of the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, thanks to his favorite player. On Friday, after the Knicks completed their six-game victory over the defending-champion Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden, footage emerged of a brave Pacers fan in a Tyrese Haliburton jersey being harassed by throngs of joyous New Yorkers. That man, who has since been identified as Perez, is seen peacefully walking away from Knicks fans, two of whom spiked trash bags off his head and shoulders. Meanwhile, dozens of others are seen pursuing Perez as he attempted to diffuse the situation. Enter Haliburton, the Pacers All-Star and Knicks tormentor who led Indiana to a seven-game upset of New York in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals. As the 25-year-old guard told Perez on Pat McAfee's ESPN show, he will be flying the Pacers fan from the New York area out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the series, which is set to begin Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. 'I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game four,' Haliburton said. 'Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of.' 'I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game four.. Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of' ~ @TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 19, 2025 The Knicks faithful threw bags of trash at Perez before chasing him down the Manhattan street To his credit, Perez sounded surprisingly upbeat when discussing the ordeal with McAfee. In fact, he remembered a similar situation after last year's Eastern Conference semis that remained peaceful. 'I've been wearing that jersey all playoffs long, I've been supporting my Pacers, I had to go by Madison Square Garden,' Perez told McAfee. 'I said: "I don't know if I should go into the mob, but I'm gonna go close by, feel the energy, get ready for the series." 'Last year Pacers, Knicks Game 7, I was there, I was at the Garden, I had tickets, I was there with the Pacers jersey, they were a little nicer, it wasn't a Friday night, this year they got me,' he added. Haliburton averaged 21.3 points and 7 assists per game against New York during the 2024 playoffs and then cemented his status as a Knicks nemesis by squaring off with team point guard Jalen Brunson at a WWE event weeks later. The premise of the match had to do with WWE's Logan Paul coaxing Haliburton and Brunson into a tag-team match with LA Knight at Madison Square Garden. With Brunson seated ringside, Paul began the performance by calling for someone with experience winning at MSG. 'Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton,' Paul announced to a chorus of boos from the New Yorkers in attendance. Paul then sauntered into the ring alongside the lankier, 6-foot-5 former Iowa State guard, who first took a moment to stare down Brunson. A typical wrestling match ensued in front of the two NBA stars, who remained peaceful until Haliburton retrieved some brass knuckles from the crowd for Paul. Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Logan Paul confront New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson and LA Knight during WWE SmackDown at MSG on June 28, 2024 Seeking to put a stop to any trickery, Brunson grabbed one of the WWE's ubiquitous folding chairs and entered the ring alongside Paul's opponent, LA Knight. Some jawing ensued, but Haliburton and a defeated Paul ultimately retreated out of the ring, much to the delight of the Knicks loyalists in the crowd. Unfortunately, Brunson appeared to irritate his surgically repaired left hand, which he broke in the Knicks' Game 7 loss to the Pacers at Madison Square Garden. He wasn't in any noticeable pain, but Brunson did look down at his left hand and shake it after climbing into the ring with the folding chair. 'Jalen Brunson grimaced at his surgically repaired hand while doing a spot on WWE,' wrote the New York Post's Stefan Bondy on X. 'Would officially be the worst way to get hurt.' The injury didn't prove to be a long-term problem and Brunson returned this season to earn his second All-Star nod and lead the Knicks to the Conference Finals for the first time in a quarter century.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton invites Pacers fan pelted with garbage to Game 4, ESPN's Brian Windhorst also hit by Knicks fans
The Indiana Pacers want to take care of a fan who had a bad day in New York. That fan, Hans Perez, wound up going viral after he was pelted with garbage for wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey in New York. With the Pacers set to meet the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday, New York fans weren't on board with that decision. Multiple people threw bags of garbage at Perez in a clip which has circulated on social media. Tyrese Haliburton is flying out Pacers fan Hanz Perez to a playoff game after he was hit with trash in New York for wearing his jersey 🔥(Via @PatMcAfeeShow ) — NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 19, 2025 Perez appeared on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Monday, where Haliburton made a surprise appearance to give Perez some good news. Turns out, the Pacers are inviting Perez to Indiana for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. Haliburton told Perez the team would fly him out and put him up for a night so he can attend the game. Perez can bring a guest with him for the experience. 'I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of' ~ @TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 19, 2025 Perez — who showed off a Pacers tattoo on his arm earlier in the interview — was pumped about that development. He thanked Haliburton for the invite and gave an enthusiastic "Let's go Pacers" chant. Perez, as it turns out, wasn't the only one hit with garbage in New York. ESPN's Brian Windhorst was heckled by fans and then pelted with garbage after the Knicks closed out the series with the Celtics. The clips, compiled by Awful Announcing, contain language that is NSFW. Knicks fan confronts @WindhorstESPN after the Celtics are eliminated — Alex B. (@KnicksCentral) May 17, 2025 Damn, this might be the last time Brian Windhorst ever come to MSG. — 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖚𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖙𝖆 🇪🇸🇳🇬🇩🇴 (@My_Business_Man) May 18, 2025 The first clip is relatively harmless, save for the language, and Windhorst appeared to handle the heckler well. The second clip, though, shows fans launching trash at Windhorst as he walked away. Some people in the crowd, after realizing what had happened, tried to get it to stop. The Pacers and Knicks won't get things started until Wednesday. The first two games of the series will take place in New York before the action goes to Indiana. It's the first time since 2000 the Knicks have reached the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers made it to the conference finals last season, but were defeated by the Boston Celtics. The series sets up a rematch from last year's playoffs. To make it to the 2024 Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers had to go through the Knicks. The series went seven games, with the Pacers coming out on top. Wednesday's Game 1 could set up yet another excellent series, with the winner getting a chance to win its first championship since the 1970s.
