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.Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has been a big WWE fan his whole life. He even made an appearance at a WWE event last summer where he ran into New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. The two All-Stars rekindled their rivalry in the Eastern Conference Finals in one of the greatest postseason comebacks the league has ever seen.
Haliburton hit one of the biggest shots of the playoffs so far to send the game into overtime, where the Pacers stole Game 1 on the road 138-135. The 2024 Olympian has embraced the role of a heel in New York, similar to how Reggie Miller did back when he played for Indiana. Ironically for Haliburton, one of his favorite wrestlers of all time is one who was a hero; John Cena.
While talking with Fanatics about his wrestling fandom, Haliburton pulled out a belt he has kept from his childhood. When asked about what signature he would value the most, the 25-year-old gave a simple answer.
“My childhood toy belt that I wrote my name on on the bottom,” Haliburton said. “It's falling apart, but I keep it because if I could get anything signed, it would be this by John [Cena] himself. That would be number one.
Haliburton's play has boosted his popularity to a nation-wide level. His rematch against Brunson on the biggest stage in the basketball world drew millions of eyes. His heroics at the end of the game are no surprise though. The Pacers guard has been one of the most clutch playoff performers. Experts believe he has been inspired to play harder since his peers voted the Pacers guard as the league's most overrated player.
If he keeps winning games, Haliburton might not be waiting for Cena's signature for much longer. He leads Indiana into Friday night's Game 2 looking to steal another game on the road.
For a player that went from young and innocent to a ruthless assassin late in games, Haliburton's journey is comparable to the wrestling stars he enjoys to watch. His focus is adding a title to his ledger and walking away with a championship of his own.
