Tyrese Haliburton-WWE timeline, from SmackDown stare-down with Jalen Brunson to WWE 2K25 video game character

Daniel Mader

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Tyrese Haliburton-WWE timeline, from SmackDown stare-down with Jalen Brunson to WWE 2K25 video game character image

Tyrese Haliburton has grown his stardom in more ways than one.

While the longtime Pacers guard has become one of the NBA's premiere passers and been the engine for a few deep playoff runs in Indiana, Haliburton, a wrestling fan all his life, has also deeply rooted himself in the WWE universe.

From a stare-down with an opposing NBA rival at SmackDown in Madison Square Garden, to his own WWE 2k25 character, Haliburton has become a recognizable face in more than one sport. 

Here's a full breakdown of Haliburton's involvement in the WWE.

MORE: Did WWE predict a Knicks-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals?

 

Tyrese Haliburton-WWE timeline

Here's every appearance Haliburton has made in the WWE universe over the years.

Tyrese Haliburton attends WWE SummerSlam (Aug. 21, 2021)

Between his rookie and sophomore seasons in the NBA, back when he was still a member of the Sacramento Kings, Haliburton made one of his first known appearances at a WWE event in August 2021.

The 31st annual SummerSlam took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. It was the first SummerSlam since 1992 to be held in a stadium. Because WrestleMania 37 had limited attendance earlier in the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SummerSlam was viewed as WWE's biggest event of the year.

So, Haliburton became a wrestling fan for the night, using a day during his offseason to watch in Las Vegas as Roman Reigns defeated John Cena in the main event.

On the "Knuckleheads Podcast," Haliburton later called Cena his "all-time favorite wrestler" not long after he attended SummerSlam, which fell around the time the Pacers were in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League. 

"I hit my people like ‘I gotta go, I gotta go. I always wanted to go to a big event. They come to Wisconsin, I go to RAW, SmackDown or whatever, but I gotta go. They got me two tickets right behind the announcer’s table," Haliburton said of his SummerSlam experience. "So I took my pops. I went to SummerSlam, I sat behind the announcer’s table, and brought my dad because dad used to bring me all events growing up. That was like, all the moments in my life that is up there. I took the chair and had a great time.” 

Tyrese Haliburton attends WWE Fastlane (Oct. 7, 2023)

In 2023, when Haliburton was then a member of the Pacers, he once again got premiere seats to a WWE event alongside his father, John. In fact, he got team permission to attend the event, with head coach Rick Carlisle saying he was "very curious" to see what the WWE had in store for Haliburton.

At WWE Fastlane in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Pacers and also where Haliburton had watched the 2022 WWE Smackdown in-person around a year prior, he showed up after getting permission to miss his team's flight.

“He talked with me about this around six weeks ago,” Carlisle said. “As long as they don’t put him in the sleeper hold, that’ll be good. I’m sure whatever it is it will be entertaining.”

But this time around, Haliburton became more than just a fan. After the event, when the wrestlers were answering questions from reporters, the basketball star stepped in for a moment to ask a question to Iyo Sky and Bayley. Bayley had just helped Sky retain the WWE Women's Championship in a Triple Threat match.

MORE: Have the Pacers won an NBA Championship?

Haliburton, clearly following all the storylines from the evening, asked Bayley why she got involved after Sky told her to stay out of the Triple Threat match.

"Bayley, I have a question for you," Haliburton said after introducing himself as a member of the Pacers. "Watching the product, Iyo told you that she did not want you to appear in the championship match tonight. I'm just wondering what made you make that decision to show up tonight?"

Bayley related the question back to Haliburton's expertise, basketball, saying nothing was going to stop her from helping.

"Alright, well, I know you played basketball and I played basketball too, OK?" Bayley said. "I was a shooting guard. I was the captain my senior year. So I understand where you're coming from. You gotta listen to your coach. We gotta listen to our champion. But you know, when it comes down, you gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes you gotta be selfish and take that shot. ... Nothing was going to stop me from going out there and helping her."

MORE: Why the NBA's parity era arriving is a good thing

Tyrese Haliburton meets WWE legends (Dec. 26, 2023) 

In December 2023, the Rockets hosted the Pacers in Houston on the team's "WWE Night." While the festivities are usually reserved for the home team, Haliburton wasn't passing up the chance to celebrate wrestling.

As he walked in the tunnel before the game, Haliburton met WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Queen Sharmell.

The Pacers went on to claim a 123-117 win, with Haliburton totaling 33 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Afterward, he made it clear: he wasn't going to lose on WWE Night.

“It was WWE night, so I was locked in," Haliburton said. 

MORE: How Tyrese Haliburton song 'WTHELLY' became Pacers anthem

Jalen Brunson confronts Tyrese Haliburton at SmackDown (June 28, 2024)

Perhaps Haliburton's most well-known time in the WWE spotlight came after the conclusion of the 2023-24 NBA season. By then, a new era of the Pacers vs. Knicks rivalry had already begun; the two teams met in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. Haliburton's Pacers advanced past a beat-up Knicks squad.

Just weeks later, Haliburton and Brunson shocked the world by taking their "rivalry" beyond the court. At WWE SmackDown in Madison Square Garden, the two NBA stars came on stage in support of a Logan Paul vs. LA Knight showdown.

First, Paul called on Haliburton from the crowd. The Pacers star, wearing a "Tyrese 3:17" shirt, played the part well by going to to grab brass knuckles from the stands. Immediately after, Brunson emerged from his seat, stepped onto the stage and approached Haliburton as Madison Square Garden exploded.

MORE: Where does Jalen Brunson rank among the 11 greatest Knicks of all time?

The two guards had a stare-down, exchanging some words during the event as part of the spectacle for Paul vs. LA Knight. Brunson was "escorted" by officials off the stage, and LA Knight was declared the winner — for a moment.

The basketball stars returned, this time to the ring, where Paul and Haliburton surrounded LA Knight. Brunson came in with a steel chair in support, causing Paul and Haliburton to step away from the ring and allow LA Knight to claim the win after more words were exchanged.

Haliburton, however, let the fans at Madison Square Garden know as he exited: "You already know, I'll be back."

Little did Haliburton and Brunson know that by the following NBA playoffs, they would once again be going head-to-head in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. As each squad was within four wins of the NBA Finals, the WWE SmackDown interaction between the stars came back into the spotlight.

"WWE, they were cooking when they did that," Brunson said of the SmackDown stare-down with Haliburton prior to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. "[Haliburton is a] great player, he's quieted a lot of people. ... happy for his success."

Brunson's teammate, Josh Hart, said that "WWE writes a great script" when asked about the two stars going from the ring to the conference finals in the span of a year. 

MORE: Tyrese Halburton buzzer-beaters and game-winners timeline

Tyrese Haliburton taunts Magic fans at WWE NXT (Sept. 17, 2024)

Just months after his interaction with Brunson, also coming off his contributions to Team USA in the Paris Olympics, Haliburton returned to the WWE stage in September 2024 at WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida. NXT is where the stars of tomorrow hone their craft before getting the call-up to the main rosters of Raw or SmackDown.

Haliburton helped set up the NXT title match between Ethan Page and Trick Williams, having the contract for the match in his hands to make sure the wrestlers agreed to it. However, Haliburton was in enemy territory when it came to basketball, surrounded by Orlando Magic fans in the crowd.

Haliburton informed the crowd that he "didn't come alone," introducing his Pacers teammates including Myles Turner and James Johnson, who were met with boos. In full-on WWE style, Haliburton played along with the drama, calling out the Magic fanbase.

"I would boo too if I had to be an Orlando Magic fan," Haliburton said. "I get it."

MORE: 7 gutsiest playoff performances in NBA history

Haliburton proceeded to introduce Williams and Page, each of whom made basketball references with the Pacers star as they hyped up their match. 

"When it comes to championships, Ethan Page is the Boston Celtics," Page said, referencing Indiana's most recent playoff series loss to Boston, the eventual 2024-25 champion. "And on October 1 when I beat you in Chicago, you will be like the Indiana Pacers and the rest of the NBA, because you're going to have to watch me be victorious."

In the aftermath of his NXT appearance, Haliburton met another WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels.

Tyrese Haliburton teases Royal Rumble appearance (Jan. 31, 2025)

With Royal Rumble 2025 set for Feb. 1, Haliburton's potential appearance was teased beforehand. In November, he said "you might see me at the Rumble," which was set to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indiana.

Haliburton was then on stage with Triple H the day before the event, who said "just about anybody could enter the Royal Rumble as a surprise," then approaching the point guard and saying, "got a minute?"

The Pacers were scheduled to have a game earlier in the day on Feb. 1, throwing questions into whether Haliburton would appear at Royal Rumble.

Ultimately, Haliburton did not participate in the Royal Rumble, only appearing on-stage for the kickoff event the day prior and watching the event as a fan. He did have some fun on social media though, involving teammate T.J. McConnell to make his "official pick for the 2025 Royal Rumble."

Later on, Haliburton explained why he didn't actually appear in the Royal Rumble while on "The Pat McAfee Show," suggesting it was Triple H's decision to avoid any injury concerns.

"I wanted to be in the Rumble. Me and Triple H talked about it. He was like, 'A lot of people are asking if you're going to be in the Rumble, and I just laughed in their face.' I was like, what the f---?" Haliburton said. "I think he was a little scared about me doing it in the middle of the season."

MORE: Where Tyrese Haliburton ranks among the best players in the 2025 Conference Finals

Tyrese Haliburton taunted by WWE's Carmelo Hayes at SmackDown (Jan. 31, 2025)

Later that same night of the Royal Rumble Kickoff, Haliburton caught a jab from WWE's Carmelo Hayes at SmackDown when he was on his way to the ring. 

"You talking about me missing. You don't have to worry about that, I won't miss, because my name ain't Tyrese Haliburton," Hayes said with the Pacers star in attendance. 

Haliburton proceeded to support Jimmy Uso in the match, having an exchange with Hayes before Uso knocked him down.  

Tyrese Haliburton appears on Raw, announcing he'll be a character in WWE 2K25 video game (May 19, 2025)

In May 2025, as his Pacers squad was making another run to the conference finals, more Haliburton-WWE news dropped. He joined Monday Night Raw to help break the news that he would be a playable character in the video game WWE 2k25 as part of the "Dunks and Destruction" package.

"I'm really excited," Haliburton said. "Obviously, I got the opportunity to come and be in the Garden and experience that and get in the ring a little bit. So, I'm excited about being a playable character in the game and, yeah, it's going to be super cool."

Soon after, the first looks at Haliburton in WWE2k25 were released. His character was wearing the same "Tyrese 3:17" shirt he wore in his stare-down with Brunson. The shirt is an homage to WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who used to wear an "Austin 3:16" shirt.

WWE selling Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson shirts (May 19, 2025)

Once the Knicks and Pacers advanced to the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the WWE bought back into its basketball storyline from June 2024. With the stars set to go head-to-head with a chance to reach the NBA Finals, the WWE released t-shirts for both Haliburton and Brunson.

The two t-shirts were what the respective stars were wearing when they went face-to-face in the ring in 2024.

Triple H also made sure to point out how WWE predicted the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals matchup.

Topps also released a new trading card featuring the Brunson vs. Haliburton showdown.

Tyrese Haliburton appears on Raw Recap podcast (May 20, 2025)

With his team's second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals matchup looming, Haliburton joined the "Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant" podcast to talk about his rivalry with the Knicks, reflecting on his SmackDown appearance with Brunson and more. The podcast can be found here.

Haliburton said on the podcast that he grew up imagining himself as the "bad guy" in wrestling, also saying he didn't know Brunson would be at SmackDown until the day before.

"Me and Jalen are cool," Haliburton said. "It was just a lot of fun."

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader joined Sporting News as an editorial intern in 2024 following his graduation from Penn State University. Previously, he covered Penn State, high school and local sports beats for NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. He grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.