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Did The WWE Predict Tyrese Haliburton Vs. Jalen Brunson?
Dan is a multifaceted content creator who specializes in sports, pop culture, and entertainment. His entertainment work has been featured on Digital Trends, where he has interviewed Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Alison Brie, Adam DeVine, Sadie Sink, Chris O'Dowd, Machine Gun Kelly, and Frank Grillo. Dan's entertainment work has also been featured on Coming Soon, Hidden Remote, and WatchMojo. Dan's other ion in life revolves around sports, graduating from Marist College with a degree in Sports Communication and Journalism. From columns about the latest in New York sports to gambling predictions, Dan continues to find success in written and broadcast journalism. Previous written work can be found at Unafraid Show, while broadcast clips can be seen on WAVE.tv and CBS Sports.
Get to know Dan Girolamo betterPublished19 May 2025
Before the Jalen Brunson once escalated inside a WWE ring.
Tyrese Haliburton Vs. Jalen Brunson Got Heated In WWE
Last season, Haliburton’s Pacers knocked off Brunson’s Knicks in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals.
One month later, the two stars wrote the next chapter in their rivalry in a WWE ring.
Madison Square Garden, the home of the New York Knicks, hosted an episode of SmackDown on June. 28, 2024.
One of the matches on the card featured a Triple Threat Match between Logan Paul, Santos Escobar, and LA Knight.
During the match, Paul asked Haliburton to bring him his brass knuckles. The Pacers point guard hopped the ringside barrier with the brass knuckles in hand.
Brunson, also sitting at ringside, could not sit and let this happen, so he confronted Haliburton.
Knight pinned Paul to win the match and advance to Money in the Bank.
After the match, Haliburton, while wearing the brass knuckles, ed Paul in the ring as they stalked Knight. To even the playing field, Brunson slid into the ring with a steel chair to defend Knight.
Before any punches were thrown, Paul and Haliburton exited the ring as Knight and Brunson stood tall to close the segment.
WWE Gives Haliburton Vs. Brunson A Shoutout
It’s almost like we wrote it… https://t.co/Erzr2M5ndZ pic.twitter.com/MmUh4zsd0A
— Triple H (@TripleH) May 18, 2025
11 months after the WWE incident, Haliburton and Brunson will face each other again at MSG.
This matchup feels like a storyline in the script. Since WWE is scripted, Triple H is leaning into the company’s involvement with Haliburton and Brunson.
“It’s almost like we wrote it,” Triple H wrote on X with pictures featuring Haliburton and Brunson.
While speaking with the media, Brunson acknowledged that WWE was “cooking” with the storyline between him and Haliburton.
"WWE, they were cooking when they did that"
Jalen Brunson on appearing at SmackDown with Tyrese Haliburton and how Haliburton is the "engine" of the Pacers: pic.twitter.com/rbbnbeomKt
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 19, 2025
Josh Hart joked that many more NBA players will be trying to be featured on WWE programming this summer.
SummerSlam, WWE’s biggest event of the summer, will be held at MetLife Stadium, a short drive from New York City. Could Haliburton vs. Brunson meet again in the ring?
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Pacers and Knicks is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.
My phone hasn’t stopped buzzing since Friday. #SummerSlam is coming to @MetLifeStadium in August… https://t.co/C8bId2qRDQ
— Triple H (@TripleH) May 19, 2025
