Tyrese Haliburton was once again hounded by jeers from New York Knicks fans, with even WWE legend John Cena getting in on the action.
Tyrese Haliburton has taken on the mantle of the villain of New York. The Indiana Pacers guard has sent the New York Knicks packing in two straight NBA playoff series.
The moment Haliburton truly cemented himself as the Knicks’ public enemy #1 was during Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals.
The All-Star hit a mind-blowing shot to tie the game, after which Haliburton recreated Reggie Miller’s choke taunt, which the Pacers legend used against the Knicks as well.
It didn’t just end there, as Haliburton would help the Pacers vanquish the Knicks and reach the NBA Finals.
But now, Haliburton returned to the New York area and was treated to a hostile welcome from fans, including WWE legend John Cena.
Photo by Rich Freeda /WWE via Getty ImagesTyrese Haliburton reacts to John Cena stealing his crutches
Tyrese Haliburton was in attendance at MetLife Stadium to take in WWE SummerSlam. The young star is a lifelong WWE fan and has made numerous appearances on television.
His last notable appearance on WWE programming was last June, when Haliburton accompanied influencer-turned-wrestler Logan Paul to the ring in Madison Square Garden.
He and Jalen Brunson would have a confrontation on the show. Brunson would stop Haliburton from attacking WWE star LA Knight.
This time around, Haliburton is a lot more limited due to his Achilles injury. As soon as he was shown on camera, the Knicks fans who made the trip to East Rutherford, NJ, serenaded him with a chorus of boos.
Even former WWE champion John Cena got in on the action. During his WWE title match against Cody Rhodes, Cena would take one of Haliburton’s crutches, right after mocking him with his signature ‘You can’t see me!’ taunt.
Haliburton took to X to respond to John Cena. Funnily enough, Hali was wearing a Cena T-shirt and is a long-time fan. He told Cena that he could have asked him nicely rather than mock him, playing the interaction up.
“SMH (Shake my head) all you had to do was ask, John Cena.”
Indiana Pacers preparing for unsuccessful season
Tyrese Haliburton being on crutches is a reminder that he will be unavailable next season. The mercurial guard heartbreakingly tore his Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Given the timetable for an Achilles injury, Haliburton will miss the entirety of the next season. To make matters worse for the Pacers, they also lost another crucial star.
In one of the biggest shocks of NBA free agency, Myles Turner left the Pacers for the Milwaukee Bucks, signing with their biggest rivals.
Turner allegedly left the Pacers over contract disputes, feeling disrespected over not getting the amount of money he wanted from the team.
With two starters from their NBA Finals team now unavailable, the Pacers will not be competitive next season. But hopefully, after Haliburton’s recovery, the Pacers can get back to title contention in 2026-27.