Knicks vs. Pacers: How a WWE storyline foreshadowed the Eastern Conference finals

Real life can feel scripted when popular culture predicts the future.

Such is the case with the NBA Eastern Conference finals — particularly with the matchup at point guard.

The New York Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in a series starting Wednesday night for a spot in the NBA Finals. The teams met last year in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Pacers beating the Knicks in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2024.

A month later, WWE held its live televised episode of “Friday Night SmackDown” at MSG. The episode featured Logan Paul introducing Tyrese Haliburton to the crowd as “someone who has already conquered this arena” before they both walked to the ring, trolling a salty Knicks fan base. Haliburton scored 26 points in front of 19,812 watching that Game 7 live, as the Pacers routed the Knicks 130-109.

Sitting at ringside for the WWE taping, however, was Jalen Brunson, who received cheers from the audience after he and Haliburton had a staredown. Brunson ultimately aligned himself with fan-favorite LA Knight after Haliburton tried helping Paul to cheat during the match by giving him brass knuckles. Brunson would hop over the railing to confront Haliburton and ultimately set up an intense moment in front of the screaming New York-partisan crowd.

Brunson grabbed a folding chair, then got in the ring and stood with Knight. No punches were thrown, but the segment ended with Haliburton and Paul leaving the ring. Haliburton had choice words for all of MSG.

“I’ll be back. You don’t wanna see me again,” Haliburton told the crowd.

The only @NBA Eastern Conference Finals preview you need.@jalenbrunson1 @TyHaliburton22 pic.twitter.com/F3deRZmWUe

— WWE (@WWE) May 17, 2025

Eleven months later, here we are. There’s no guarantee as to which team will advance to the NBA Finals, but simply having the Knicks and Pacers as the last two standing in the East has to make WWE and its fans smile.

That storyline last June didn’t lead to additional WWE appearances featuring the two NBA stars, but it did do an incredible job of foreshadowing what’s to come. The Knicks are making their first conference finals appearance in 25 years. The Pacers are returning to the conference finals for the second consecutive season. A few weeks ago, the smart money was on the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics playing for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Instead, we will get a well-timed pro wrestling storyline come true.

WWE isn’t the first to predict the future by way of television. Long-running animated series “The Simpsons” has correctly predicted several instances in its episodes, from Lady Gaga performing at the Super Bowl to Donald Trump’s presidency. “The Jetsons” debuted in 1962 and predicted video conferencing and talking to people through a watch, among other technological advances.

Die-hard “Quantum Leap” fans might remember an episode where the Pittsburgh Steelers trailed the Dallas Cowboys by three points in the Super Bowl in 1990. That actually happened six years after the show aired in Super Bowl XXX.

This upcoming Knicks-Pacers series should give us way more than WWE did. Expect an idea of how both Haliburton and Brunson are perceived, at least for the games that will be played in New York. Just like a normal WWE storyline, there will be the hated bad guy, the “heel” (Haliburton) and the cheered good guy, the “babyface” (Brunson). Expect the tables to turn when the series shifts to Indianapolis.

Brunson’s stardom continues to grow on the court and with fans. The Knicks have been fun to watch with the help of Brunson becoming one of the NBA’s most popular players. He was selected for his second All-Star Game earlier this year, and he was named NBA Clutch Player of the Year last month for his standout late-game play throughout the season. He continued to be a force in the fourth quarter during the playoffs, particularly in taking down the Detroit Pistons in the first round. He leads the NBA playoffs with 86 points in the fourth quarter.

Brunson signed a four-year, $156.6 million contract extension last July and saved the Knicks $113 million in guaranteed money he likely would have earned if he signed a new deal this summer, giving the Knicks more flexibility to build their roster. Additionally, Brunson has the fifth-highest selling jersey this season, according to NBAStore.com.

Haliburton’s reputation isn’t bad, particularly with WWE. A huge pro wrestling fan, Haliburton appeared on Monday’s episode of “Monday Night Raw” discussing the company’s announcement to include him as a playable character for WWE 2K25 as part of the “Dunks & Destruction” downloadable content (DLC) package, which is set to be released later this year.

BREAKING: Tyrese Haliburton is coming to WWE 2K25 later this year!

🔥🔥🔥#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/I2eA8Rt0GG

— WWE (@WWE) May 20, 2025

But Haliburton also has given basketball fans reasons to roll their eyes. His polarizing efforts started last year, before his televised WWE confrontation with Brunson.

Haliburton, during the news conference following the Pacers’ Game 7 win over the Knicks, wore a hoodie that showed Indiana legend Reggie Miller giving the choking signal from the Knicks-Pacers 1995 playoffs matchup, when Miller scored eight points in nine seconds to beat New York. That’s just the type of move that would irk Knicks fans.

Haliburton being attached to winning (he’s a two-time NBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist playing in the Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back seasons) makes him more likable with a vocal sector of fans. But he was also voted the league’s most overrated player in an anonymous player poll by The Athletic. Haliburton said he was “not worried” about what other players thought about him.

It’s that kind of confidence that makes him a great player, but also sets off those who do not like him.

Some of the latest Haliburton hate isn’t completely about him. When Haliburton’s father, John, taunted the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo after his series-clinching basket in the first round of the playoffs, some looked at both the son and father sideways.

Sure, real life can feel scripted when popular culture predicts the future. WWE might have found the perfect heel-babyface aspect for a much-anticipated series. But unlike last June, there will be a conclusion to this story.

(Photo of Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton: WWE / Getty Images)

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