Could Knicks, Pacers Stars Face Off in Different Battle?

Wrestling is fake, you say? Don’t tell New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.

Brunson earned a quantum of revenge against Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton at Madison Square Garden earlier this summer, as he guided fan favorite LA Knight to a win over heel Logan Paul during a late June edition of “WWE Smackdown.” The showdown came just over a month after Haliburton’s Pacers ousted the (shorthanded) Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the NBA playoffs.

Brunson and the Knicks will have a chance for further revenge come Oct. 25, when the Pacers serve as the opponent for 2024-25 MSG opener. But when Brunson partook in a Knicks-themed panel at Fanatics Fest this weekend, master of ceremonies Kazeem Famuyide asked Brunson if he and Haliburton would toss the professionals aside and duke it out for real.

Fans may have to wait, but Brunson didn’t fully block the prospect.

“I’m never going to say never,” Brunson said with a smirk. “I’ll just … maybe we can speak it into existence. Maybe we can.”

A huge wrestling fan who called a guest appearance on “SmackDown” a “dream,” Brunson was probably in his glory at Fanatics Fest, which featured plenty of WWE-themed exhibits and guests. Teammate and fellow speaker Hart further bought into the newly-minted captain’s love of the show by brandishing a Knicks-themed championship belt over his shoulder upon taking the stage at the Javits Center.

The Knicks panel, subtitled “Bing Bong” in honor of the time-honored battle cry of the Manhattan faithful, drew some of the biggest crowds of the event and also hosted Knicks legend/broadcaster Walt “Clyde” Frazier and celebrity superfan Spike Lee and Ben Stiller. All saluted Brunson upon his entrance, as it was the point guard’s first public appearance since he was officially named the 36th captain in franchis history earlier this month.

Though the Pacer series ended in heartbreak, Stiller hinted that Brunson’s return from an injury in Game 2 of the series at MSG was his generation’s version of the Willis Reed game, which saw the late metropolitan icon take the floor for Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals despite a painful thigh injury. His brief appearance proved impactful enough to guide the Knicks to the victory and their first NBA championship.

“When he went out against the Pacers, we went down by 10, and then he came out in the second half, everybody just went crazy,” the “Zoolander” star recalled. “That to me (embodies) the spirit (of Knicks basketball).”

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