Jalen Brunson Responds to WWE Star Taking Credit for Knicks Playoff Wins
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks picked up their ninth-straight win on Thursday night, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 119-103 in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brunson wasn’t scoring quite as easily as he had in Game 1, finishing with a mere 19 points to go with his 14 assists in the victory. Instead, teammate Josh Hart led the way with 26 points, giving New York another hero from its starting five.
They’ll now head to Cleveland, where they need two more wins to reach the NBA Finals, something New York is anticipating.
According to WWE star Danhausen, he’s the one responsible for the Knicks continuing to rack up wins after previously cursing the team because of Stephen A. Smith, and then uncursing the team when a fan paid him money to do it in a Cameo video.
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During the Knicks’ postgame press conference, a reporter mentioned Brunson’s wrestling fandom and asked what he thought of this Danhausen guy taking credit for the Knicks’ wins.
“I also don’t know too much about it. I’ve been off social media. So I’ll leave it at that,” Brunson replied.
The fact that it was even a question is hilarious, but it shows how impactful the WWE star has been. Then again, he’s made several appearances in which he crashed ESPN’s “SportsCenter” to curse at various teams or people.
He also reacted to Brunson’s postgame comments, suggesting the Knicks star had “The smirk of someone who is FIBBING.”
The latest Danhausen appearance on ESPN featured him claiming the Cleveland Cavaliers were cursed, which confused in-studio analysts and hosts in the room, who were unfamiliar with his antics. However, it likely delighted Smith, who is a loyal Knicks fan.
The WWE invasion on ESPN shows is all part of a strategic partnership to promote events, since ESPN now shows WWE’s Premium Live Events (PLEs), including the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.
Danhausen will likely continue to take credit for the playoff wins, unless he randomly decides to curse the Knicks again. However, one has to think WWE is loving how this is playing out in everyone’s favor, as the Knicks are making a run to the NBA Finals and a potential championship season.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 10:15 AM.