It appears that Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was thrilled to have his crutch be a part of John Cena's WWE SummerSlam match vs. Cody Rhodes.
Initially, Haliburton had some fun with the moment. He reacted to a video posted by WWE of Cena grabbing Haliburton's crutch. “Smh[,] all you had to do was ask,” he said to Cena.
“Sacrificed my crutch for the 🐐” https://t.co/I6orfpr6r4 pic.twitter.com/OqWzW6IKPd
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 4, 2025
He later took to his Instagram Stories to share a different take on the spot. “Sacrificed my crutch for the [goat],” Haliburton said of Cena.
Tyrese Haliburton's crutch spot with John Cena at WWE SummerSlam
During Cena's main event bout against Rhodes, he approached Haliburton, who was sitting in the front row. He took one of the Pacers star's crutches after doing his signature “You Can't See Me” emote in his face.
He then used it as a weapon against Rhodes. Cena hit Rhodes with the crutch twice before discarding it. Unfortunately, it did not help Cena win.
After surviving several of Rhodes' signature moves, Cena was defeated with a Cross Rhodes after being hit with a top-rope Cody Cutter. Similarly, Rhodes kicked out of several Attitude Adjustments throughout as well.
It was the final SummerSlam match of Cena's career. While he lost, he was given a hero's sendoff following the bout. Rhodes left Cena in the ring to soak in the applause from the WWE fans.
Haliburton is a WWE fan. Previously, he attended an episode of Friday Night SmackDown. During the episode, he had a showdown with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
They didn't know it at the time, but this foreshadowed the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals matchup. Haliburton and the Pacers took on the Knicks in a series that went six games. That explains why the New Jersey crowd booed Haliburton when WWE showed him during the broadcast. SummerSlam took place just over the Hudson, where the Knicks play in New York City.
