Tyrese Haliburton Shades Fans Following SummerSlam Booing…

Tyrese Haliburton made a high-profile cameo at WWE SummerSlam on Sunday night and was greeted in typical New York fashion.

According to ABC7 New York, the Indiana Pacers star—fresh off an Achilles tear and in town less than 10 miles from Madison Square Garden—appeared on the MetLife Stadium big screen and drew a wave of boos.

Haliburton leaned into the moment, gesturing to the crowd and shouting back, “I love you, too,” before following up with another message to fans after the event.

The setting added extra context to the reaction. Haliburton and the Pacers knocked the Knicks out of the Eastern Conference Finals just over two months ago, winning the series in six games. The year prior, Indiana ousted New York in seven games during the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Against the Knicks this postseason, Haliburton averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, helping guide Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2000.

Even while recovering from Achilles surgery and on crutches, Haliburton still managed to leave a mark on SummerSlam itself. During the main event, John Cena grabbed one of Haliburton’s crutches and used it to strike Cody Rhodes—turning a courtside cameo into an in-ring moment.

Earlier this summer, Haliburton’s crossover with WWE wasn’t limited to the crowd—he previously stepped into a ring for a faceoff with Knicks star Jalen Brunson in June 2024.

Haliburton’s night at MetLife came after the Pacers’ Finals run ended in a decisive Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game in which he tore his Achilles tendon early on.

The two-time NBA All-Star is known as an avid WWE fan and has attended events in the past, so a SummerSlam appearance in the New York market—where he has quickly become one of the Knicks’ primary rivals—naturally sparked a reaction.