After epic WWE face-off, Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton ready to lay the smackdown

For all of the stunning moments WWE produces, one must remember all of it is scripted.

No, the moves aren’t real. Wrestlers put their bodies on the line for spectacular moves that do hurt. But yes, the outcomes are predetermined and stories are produced. While it’s not entirely organic, long-term storytelling is what makes the business a success. It’s at its best when it blurs the line between reality and fantasy, enticing fans even more.

So you can imagine why it feels like WWE wrote the Eastern Conference finals into existence, and a smackdown is imminent between that star players for New York and Indiana.

The Knicks and Pacers have been a storied playoff rivalry that always makes it spicy any time they face off. It couldn’t be more of a wrestling feud if it tried. There was the headbutt John Starks gave Reggie Miller, the perfect heel for New York as he mocked the city and Spike Lee, who encapsulated the fighting spirit of the Knicks. This year, the intensity and animosity will be turned up a notch as each team will be playing for their first trip to the NBA Finals in more than 20 years.

But what makes it even more compelling is the showdown between Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton. It’s a rivalry that’s been brewing, and it’s turned into captivating storytelling that brings even more juice to a big-time playoff series, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.

And it’s all thanks to an episode of WWE SmackDown in June.

“WWE, they were cooking when they did that,” Brunson said.

Revisiting Jalen Brunson-Tyrese Haliburton WWE showdown

The New York-Indiana rivalry was renewed in the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. It was a thrilling series as it went to Game 7, but it wasn’t a five-star finish as the Pacers once again broke the heart of New York with a 130-109 thumping at Madison Square Garden.

It left a bad taste in New York, and WWE realize the potential it had when it would host a show at the arena five weeks later. Knowing how much of a fan Haliburton was, WWE reached out about him making an appearance on the June 28, 2024 episode of SmackDown. There was no hesitation from Haliburton to attend the arena where he ended the Knicks’ season.

However, when Haliburton got to the arena, WWE staff asked when was Brunson. Haliburton was initially confused, so he reached out to see if Brunson was indeed coming. He was, and Haliburton realized what was going to go down.

“I said, ‘Oh, so we’re really doing this, like we’re tying it all,” Haliburton said.

In a triple threat Money in the Bank qualifying match with LA Knight and Santos Escobar, Haliburton accompanied then-United States Champion Logan Paul. The champion was already a heel, but bringing the guy hated in New York? Even more fuel to the fire.

As Paul and Haliburton made their way to the ring, the Pacers guard looked to the crowd and there was Brunson. The crowd got hyped as they stared each other down.

The match went on and Paul tried to get help from Haliburton to win, asking to get him brass knuckles to cheat his way to victory. However, Brunson wasn’t having it. He jumped the barricade and confronted Haliburton. It stopped Paul from getting the advantage, and Knight ended up pinning Paul to win.

There was already a feud between Paul and Knight, so Haliburton got in the ring to outnumber Knight. Paul and Haliburton circled Knight, but there was Brunson to save the day. He picked up a steel chair and came in the ring to even the score. The crowd went wild with a fierce showdown before Paul and Haliburton left the ring to a chorus of boos, while Knight raised Brunson’s arm in the air.

Did WWE predict − or write − Eastern Conference final?

Given how often sports fans love to say results are rigged, especially after the NBA draft lottery, there’s been some mild belief WWE had a hand in the Eastern Conference finals teams. It does seem very storybook, and it doesn’t help that as Haliburton left the ring last June, he told the audience “I’ll be back.” WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has also had fun with it.

Let’s just call it a “pretty cool storyline,” as Haliburton put it.

“It’s pretty cool that happened this summer, and here we are,” he said. “I’m all into long term booking and all those things. I’m sure it goes along with everybody who thinks there’s a script. They think Triple H had something to do with it.”

Knicks guard Josh Hart got in on the foreshadowing.

“WWE writes a great script,” he joked.

Hart said because of how the Brunson-Haliburton heat paved the way for the playoff matchup, he believes there’s going to be more NBA players trying to get in WWE once the season is over. It could be Brunson and Haliburton again as well, especially since SummerSlam 2025 is taking place August 2-3 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

But before another WWE showdown − or match − can happen in a ring, Haliburton and Brunson will instead trade shots on the court. Don’t expect tables, ladders or chairs to play a factor in the series, but there will be no holds barred between bitter rivals with a championship opportunity on the line.

And there won’t be anything fake about it.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton meet again after WWE showdown