Tonight marks Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, pitting the Indiana Pacers vs. the New York Knicks. The matchup is as anticipated as it is surprising, with the fourth-seeded Pacers and the third-seeded Knicks pulling off Herculean upsets over higher seeds in the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics, respectfully.

But if you watch WWE programming, this showdown is simply all part of a one-year build.

Last year, in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, WWE booked an angle on the June 28, 2024 broadcast of SmackDown between rising NBA stars Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, and Jalen Brunson of the hometown Knicks.

Haliburton, the natural heel as a Pacer in New York, assisted all-world villain Logan Paul in a Triple Threat Match against LA Knight and Santos Escobar. Haliburton tried to sneak a pair of brass knuckles to Paul, but Babyface Brunson was having none of it. After rising from his seat to a huge pop, and chants of “MVP,” Brunson thwarted Haliburton’s attempt to skew the odds in the heel’s favor. Brunson’s presence caused a distraction for Paul, leading to a fan-friendly finish as the Brunson-backed Knight pinned Logan Paul.

One year later, Haliburton and Brunson find themselves at odds, but this time for a chance to make their first NBA Final. Both Haliburton and Brunson have overachieved in star-making playoff runs where each has scored buzzer-beating baskets to will their teams to victory.

Both also are closely linked to WWE, and WWE Twitter is making sure to post reminders at every turn. ESPN’s Twitter account posted a matchup between Haliburton and Brunson stylized like the iconic WrestleMania 17 graphic for Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. In the spirit of WrestleMania 17, there was a fan-made shot-for-shot hype video for the Pacers vs. Knicks scored to Limp Bizkit’s “My Way.”

If you know. You know.

Whether it’s Tyrese Haliburton obliterating the narrative of being named the NBA’s most overrated player, to Brunson sparking a renaissance of one of the NBA’s most decorated franchises, Pacers-Knicks already has plenty of meat on the bone as far as storylines go. But given the WWE the implications, the Eastern Conference Finals feels like a Premium Live Event.

“WWE writes a great script. There’s gonna be a lot of guys that’s going to be trying to get on WWE this summer,” said Knicks shooting guard Josh Hart.

“My phone hasn’t stopped buzzing since Friday. SummerSlam is coming to Metlife Stadium in August,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H as he took the opportunity to remind fans of SummerSlam’s Metlife debut.

As fate would have it, WWE will also be hosting three events in Indianapolis, which already started with this year’s Royal Rumble. Lucas Oil Stadium will also host a future WWE SummerSlam and WrestleMania.

Brunson and Haliburton’s ties with WWE go well beyond their MSG cameos last June. Both Haliburton and Brunson currently have merchandise available on WWEShop.com. Last night on WWE Raw, Haliburton appeared in a virtual interview to announce he will be a playable character on WWE 2k25 as part of the “Dunk and Destruction” DLC pack. The DLC pack also includes the Great Khali and TNA legend Abyss.

Never has it been cooler, or easier, for A-list celebrities and athletes to embrace WWE. WWE launched the Celebrity Era earlier this year on the January 6 Netflix Raw debut, where everybody from Michael Che to Gabriel Iglesias was featured in the crowd. These celebrity crowd shots have now become the norm on WWE programming, with Netflix and the TKO brand often cross-promoting shows at WWE live events.

WWE Raw’s announce team includes another layer of happenstance in the Pacers-Knicks matchup. Popular broadcaster, and Raw color commentator, Pat McAfee was a longtime punter for the Indianapolis Colts. Longtime WWE play-by-play announcer Michael Cole is an avid Knicks fan. The pair placed a bet last night on Raw, where if the Pacers win, Cole must wear a tanktop. But if the Knicks win, McAfee will wear—in his words—"a full suit, like a clown." McAfee’s mention of a “full” suit is key, since the pair’s now air-tight relationship got off to a rocky start when Cole legitimately chastised McAfee for wearing tuxedo shorts at WrestleMania 35.

The Pacers and the Knicks is a dream come true for WWE. With a star-studded playoff matchup, WWE will get even more free press in a TKO where the all-powerful entity is already able to generate once-elusive celebrity endorsements on command.