Move over Trae Young, New York Knicks fans have a new villain to channel their frustration toward. After Tyrese Haliburton tormented their team in consecutive playoff series, the Indiana Pacers star has officially earned the title of public enemy No. 1 in New York.
The point guard relishes the role, turning every Garden appearance into must-see television. This weekend proved that New Yorkers haven’t forgotten, and they won’t let Haliburton forget either.
Why Do New York Fans Still Hate Tyrese Haliburton?
When the cameras found Haliburton at MetLife Stadium during the 2025 WWE Summer Slam, the crowd reacted immediately and brutally. New Yorkers who had crossed the Hudson River for some wrestling entertainment suddenly had a different target for their energy. The cameras panned in on the Pacers’ star, and the boos rained down from every corner of the stadium.
Tyrese Haliburton receives boos. đź‘€
pic.twitter.com/jEocnXCWI9 https://t.co/FJLbfA6kAO
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) August 3, 2025
Haliburton didn’t shrink from the hostility. Instead, he embraced it with the confidence of someone who owns real estate in these fans’ heads. The viral clip shows him acknowledging the crowd, even telling them “I love you too” as the jeers continued to pour down. It was the perfect response for a player who’s made his name breaking New York hearts.
The hatred stems from back-to-back playoff eliminations that have left Knicks fans questioning everything. In May, the Pacers knocked New York out of the Eastern Conference Finals in six games, ending another championship dream for a franchise that hasn’t reached the NBA Finals in over 25 years.
That loss stung even more because it was the second consecutive year Haliburton’s team had sent the Knicks home early, with Indiana winning a seven-game thriller in 2024.
What Made Haliburton’s Playoff Performance So Memorable?
The 25-year-old point guard didn’t just beat the Knicks, he did it with style that bordered on disrespectful. The defining moment came in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup, when Haliburton hit a clutch game-tying shot at Madison Square Garden and immediately replicated Reggie Miller’s famous choke celebration.
The gesture connected him to Indiana basketball history while simultaneously poking at one of New York’s deepest wounds.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT 🤯🤯🤯
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
That celebration became the symbol of New York’s frustration. Miller had tortured the Knicks for years during his playing career, and now here was a new generation of Pacers stars continuing the tradition. For fans who had watched their team build something special only to see it crumble against Indiana again, Haliburton’s theatrics felt like salt in an open wound.
The pain runs deeper when you consider what these losses cost New York. Both series represented legitimate championship opportunities for a franchise desperate to break its title drought. Instead of advancing toward potential Finals appearances, the Knicks watched from home while Haliburton and the Pacers kept playing.
Led by their All-Star point guard, the Pacers achieved something special in 2024-25. They finished with 50 wins for the first time in over a decade, building around a core that included Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, and Myles Turner.
The group battled to the NBA Finals, reaching heights the franchise hadn’t seen since 2000. Although they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a thrilling seven-game series, the journey proved Indiana had returned to championship contention.
Haliburton is recovering from an Achilles injury during the Finals, but that hasn’t slowed down his offseason activities. The Wisconsin native has been spotted at Indiana Fever games and clearly felt comfortable enough to take in some WWE action at MetLife Stadium.
However, his weekend encounter with New York fans proved that some grudges don’t fade quickly. For Knicks supporters still processing consecutive playoff defeats, seeing their tormentor enjoying himself in their backyard provided the perfect opportunity to voice their lingering frustrations.
