Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson are set for another high-profile clash in the Eastern Conference Finals as the rivalry enters its peak. It marks the Knicks’ first Conference Finals appearance since 2000, and it comes against the opponents who beat them in the semifinals last season.
Haliburton and Brunson are two of the best guards in the NBA, and last year’s playoffs weren’t the only time they featured in a high-profile clash. The duo took their rivalry to WWE as well last year, appearing during a “Money in the Bank” qualifying match with Logan Paul, LA Knight, and Santos Escobar.
Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson Stared Down Each Other at WWE SmackDown
Haliburton led the Pacers to defeat the Knicks by 21 points in Game 7 of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals with a record performance, and a month later, Brunson couldn’t stay still when they met at the WWE SmackDown.
Watch out, @TyHaliburton22! @jalenbrunson1 is watching you 👀#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/4bHSyz1HcS
— WWE (@WWE)
Haliburton made a grand entrance alongside Paul, but spotted a familiar foe in the audience, Brunson, and stepped to him. The Pacers guard tried to breeze past Brunson, but he appeared unfazed, leading to a heated stare-down. The pair had to be separated by WWE officials later when Haliburton was about to give Paul his brass knuckles, resulting in “MVP!” chants for Brunson.
.@LoganPaul never leaves home with out his brass knuckles 👊@TyHaliburton22, what are you doing?! 😳#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/EIdFKuXPfQ
— WWE (@WWE)
The Pacers All-Star eventually entered the ring with Paul, but Knight and Brunson followed soon after, the latter with a black steel chair, and exchanged words with him. Haliburton and Paul eventually stepped out of the ring, drawing another round of loud cheers from the home crowd in Madison Square Garden.
Brunson raved about the experience in a post on X afterward, writing, “Just lived out a childhood dream and yes the hand fine lol yall can relax.”
Being the best two guards in the league, Brunson and Haliburton are naturally inclined to be competitive and considered rivals. However, for Brunson, it’s more like they are each doing their best for the respective teams.
“I don’t think it’s as much about me versus him as much as it is our teams versus each other,” Haliburton said last season. “He’s doing what he has to do for his team to win games, and I got to do that, as well, to give my team the best chance to win. So, it’s less about matchup and who’s scoring or who’s doing what. That’s for [fans] to talk about. We’re just trying to win games.”
Needless to say, the fans aren’t going to stop talking about their rivalry, and the WWE chapter only added more fuel to it.
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Brunson was forced out with an injury in the third quarter of the deciding Game 7 last season, but has been averaging an impressive 29.4 points in the playoffs this season. Meanwhile, Haliburton is averaging 17.5 points in the playoffs to go with 9.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, setting up for an exciting clash in the Eastern Conference Finals.
