Look who showed up to Madison Square Garden! On Friday night, WWE's SmackDown headed to New York in MSG for their live show. Fans obviously were expecting the usual professional wrestling shenanigans. What they did not expect, however, was to see a recent basketball rivalry show up in the squared circle. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson made an appearance, using the fire of their recent playoff matchup to entertain fans.
WWE United States Champion Logan Paul initially brought out Haliburton to rile up the New York fanbase. After all, Haliburton's Pacers booted out the Knicks in MSG just a few months ago. While Paul and Hali were ganging up on LA Knight, Brunson came in rocking a steel chair to make the save. The two pairs then stared each other down before Paul and Haliburton exited the ring.
All's well and good, right? Well, Knicks fans were just a bit concerned with how Brunson entered the ring for that face-off. Perhaps a little too excited for his WWE debut, Brunson seemingly winced after sliding into the ring. Considering that Brunson underwent surgery on that hand, fans were more than a little bit concerned. However, Brunson took to X to report that his dream night went well, and that his hand was just fine.
“Just lived out a childhood dream and yes the hand fine lol yall can relax 😂”
That's a relief. The Knicks were extremely banged up by the end of their playoff run. Brunson, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby all suffered various injuries during the Pacers series. Julius Randle was already out before the playoffs. Brunson reaggravating his injury on a random wrestling appearance would've been brutal.
Knicks' eventful offseason
Brunson has more things to celebrate than his dream of being in the WWE fulfilled. A few days ago, the Knicks traded a massive bounty to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Mikal Bridges. With that, the Villanova core from Brunson's college days have reunited in the Big Apple. Brunson, Hart, Bridges, and Donte DiVincenzo are all ‘Nova alums.
Even outside the college connection, Bridges is a perfect acquisition for the Knicks. The former Nets forward is the perfect three-and-D wing. He is one of the best defenders in the entire league, and he also happens to be an elite shooter in the league. A lineup with him, Hart, and Anunoby will legitimately be one of the best perimeter defenses in the league.
Last season, the Knicks surprised the NBA world by barging into the playoffs as a top contender. Brunson's emergence as a top-five point guard in the league certainly helped, but it was a team effort in the regular season with Hart, Randle, Robinson, and the rest of the Knicks' core. If not for injuries, it's very likely that New York makes it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Here's to hoping Brunson makes a speedy recovery and leads the Knicks to a deep playoff run.
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