Tyrese Haliburton continues to live out his lifelong dream of appearing on WWE TV, making an appearance on WWE NXT.

On the show, Haliburton was seen interacting with NXT General Manager Ava (real name Simone Johnson), who is the daughter of WWE legend and Hollywood icon Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Haliburton had a hilarious reaction with a few other on-screen personalities while volunteering his services for a contract signing on the program. Interestingly, Tyrese was wearing a t-shirt of WWE legend Shawn Michaels, who is the executive producer of NXT, the show Haliburton was making an appearance on.

He would appear later in the show in front of the crowd in Orlando, with the rest of the Pacers stars in the audience. Upon facing some boos from the crowd, Haliburton clapped back, claiming that he would also be upset if he had to be an Orlando Magic fan.

This isn’t the first appearance Haliburton has made on WWE programming this year. Earlier this summer, Haliburton accompanied WWE star and social media personality Logan Paul in Madison Square Garden, just weeks after he and the Pacers sent the Knicks home in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Haliburton went face-to-face with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson on the show, who stopped him from attacking another wrestler. Haliburton, who has become a villain for Knicks fans, embraced the jeers from the fans, playing the role of heel (wrestling parlance for villain) during the episode.

Haliburton, as mentioned before, is a massive WWE fan, and is constantly seen appearing at shows when given the chance, or commenting on the product through social media. It was great to see the two-time NBA All-Star make an appearance on the show tonight.

However, the Pacers guard will have to shift his focus soon to the NBA, as the new season tips off next month. The Pacers surprised several fans last season by reaching the Western Conference Finals, but this season, the expectations will be higher, and the Pacers will want to deliver on those expectations.

Tyrese Haliburton: A Sought After Player In The NBA

Recently, former NBA star Stephon Marbury claimed that the Phoenix Suns needed a player like Tyrese Haliburton in order to compete for an NBA championship. While the Suns have a great roster with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, Marbury believes that Haliburton’s skills as a floor general would elevate them greatly.

Haliburton commented on Marbury’s verdict, along with other recruitment efforts aimed at him in the league, noting that his focus was on the Pacers, and he wasn’t particularly concerned with the comments other people in the league were making about him.

Haliburton is coming off a great season in the NBA. But he didn’t have a great summer with Team USA. While he got to win a gold medal this summer, he barely played at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Recently, Team USA head coach Steve Kerr praised the professionalism of Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, who were regularly snubbed for minutes. Perhaps Haliburton will get the chance to represent Team USA at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, as he will be an older, more established star by that point in time.