It’s never too early to start preparing for WrestleMania.
Who knows if it’ll get that far, but Knicks star Jalen Brunson and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton were in attendance for an episode of Friday Night SmackDown at MSG when they looked at each other in a tense moment.
As expected, when Brunson was introduced to the crowd, the MSG fans erupted in thunderous applause, and commentator Corey Graves announced, “This is Jalen Brunson, No. 11, for the New York Knicks.”
Soon after, heel influencer and WWE United States Champion Logan Paul came out for a Money in the Bank qualifying triple threat match against Santos Escobar and LA Knight.
Paul teased the crowd and brought out Halliburton, who gave an impassioned introduction amid boos from the Garden fans.
Of course, it was Haliburton’s Pacers who defeated Brunson’s Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs, with Game 7 being played at the Garden.
Haliburton, a known wrestling fan, served as Paul’s manager during the incident.
Paul instructed Haliburton to obtain brass knuckles to win the match, which Haliburton did, but was confronted by Brunson at ringside and asked to leave by WWE officials.
Paul was then rolled up by Knight to lose the match, and was joined in the ring by Haliburton.
Brunson then returned with a steel chair and used it to fight off Halliburton and Paul from the outnumbered Knights.
Halliburton and Brunson argued in the ring after which Halliburton left the ring with Paul.
At one point after entering the ring, Brunson appeared to grimaced as he shook his left hand, which had surgery after breaking it in the series against the Pacers, though his facial expression may have been part of the planned segment and it’s unclear if he was actually injured.
Beyond this angle for the MSG crowd, it’s unclear if Brunson and Haliburton have plans to get involved with WWE and reignite their “feud” in the playoffs.
As Halliburton heads up the ramp to the rear, he can be heard on camera saying, “I’ll be back.”
He has been involved with WWE before, so it’s not out of the question.
