Watch: Jalen Brunson shakes up WWE Smackdown, confronts Tyrese Haliburton with steel chair
The rivalry between Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton reached new levels on Friday night when both NBA superstars appeared on WWE SmackDown. Brunson was in the audience among fans inside the Madison Square Garden, while Haliburton accompanied Logan Paul for his match.
Paul, the United States Champion, was in a triple threat qualifying match for Money in the Bank against LA Knight and Santos Escobar. He taunted the MSG crowd and brought the Indiana Pacers stars to troll the Knicks fans in attendance.
The Pacers outlasted the Knicks in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games. Haliburton even had a staredown with Brunson, who was recovering from a broken hand suffered in Game 7 of their playoff series.
As Logan Paul, LA Knight and Santos Escobar battled it out in the ring, Tyrese Haliburton tried to get involved in the match. Haliburton tried to give brass knuckles to Paul to use as an advantage but Jalen Brunson was not having any of it.
The New York Knicks star jumped the barricade to confront his rival until the referees stepped in to avoid any further confrontation. The fiasco outside allowed Knight to take advantage and get the victory by pinning Paul.
After the match, Logan Paul and Tyrese Haliburton tried to confront LA Knight inside the ring. Jalen Brunson came in for the save and brought a steel chair for the advantage. The bad guys had no other choice but to leave the ring in embarrassment.
Knight then put over Brunson by raising his hands to receive the adulation from the MSG crowd. The Knicks star carried the team on his back in the playoffs until his body broke down.
Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton are friends off the court
Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton might be rivals on the court and in the ring, but they are friends off of it. Despite the trash talk during the Eastern Conference semifinals, the two players formed a friendship during their stint as teammates for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
"Great player. Didn't really know him until like, I knew of him, we met a couple of times, but we didn't really become friends until last summer. Great guy, great family. He became one of my friends, obviously through that and I have all the respect in the world for him and the way he plays the game. He goes out there and plays the right way and does what he needs to do," Brunson told the New York Post last month before their playoff series.
With the Knicks and Pacers being rivals, it would be hard for Brunson and Haliburton to be friends on the court. New York also reloaded this offseason, so their matchups against Indiana next season are going to be a must-watch.