WWE, NBA Partner for Multiple Crossover Collabs During Opening Week

Let the WWE and NBA crossovers continue.

Earlier this year, it seemed the WWE and NBA were long-lost partners. After making his debut with WWE in February, Danhausen became a fixture on NBA Playoff coverage on ESPN. He then became a fixture of the New York Knicks run to their first NBA Championship in decades.

Danhausen cursed the Knicks on live television during an appearance on ESPN. He later lifted that curse, and once he did, the Knicks went on an unprecedented unbeaten streak in the playoffs and won the championship.

Knicks star Jalen Brunson crossed over to WWE following the championship win, and alongside Roman Reigns, appeared for the company during a special championship acknowledgment appearance on an episode of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event.

That wasn't the first time Brunson appeared on WWE television. In 2024, he and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton appeared together as rivals on an episode of SmackDown.

Tyrese Haliburton channels Triple H in return to NBA action

Haliburton played a major role in some WWE and NBA crossover collaborations for the league's tip-off week. Haliburton missed all of last season because of recovery from a torn achilles. His first game back in action was this week, and he did so donning Triple H's infamous return gear.

In 2002, Triple H returned from a torn quadricep injury at Madison Square Garden and received one of the loudest pops ever when he did it. He wore a heavy jean jacket with his black logo on it, and this week, Haliburton replicated that gear for his return. He was shown arriving at the building for his game in a full cosplay getup of Triple H at MSG.

That wasn't the only NBA-WWE crossover out there this week. The New York Knicks raised their championship banner and Homage released WWE-inspired New York Knicks championship shirts. The specialty T-shirt design features the Knicks championship on a WWE Championship-style title belt. Homage has released a full line of Knicks championship merchandise to commemorate the championship.

WWE will return to Madison Square Garden later this year. The company is bringing its annual holiday tour to the World's Most Famous Arena on December 26.

WWE has run a holiday house show tour for many years and almost all of them have included Madison Square Garden. Tickets for that event are currently on sale.