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Roman Reigns is a WWE Superstar.
The New York Knicks are rolling into the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and Jalen Brunson is making headlines both on and off the court.
After closing out the Atlanta Hawks in Game 6, Brunson revealed a surprising pre-game ritual connected to WWE’s biggest star, and Roman Reigns himself took notice.
GettyRoman Reigns replied to Knicks Jalen Brunson
After the Knicks’ dominant 140-89 Game 6 blowout over the Atlanta Hawks, Brunson stepped to the podium expecting the usual basketball questions.
Instead, a reporter asked him about Roman Reigns winning the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42, where Reigns pinned CM Punk in the main event. Brunson’s reaction was pure gold.
“See, these are the questions I want asked!… I have a handshake with one of our trainers and we acknowledge him before every game,” Brunson said with a smile.
Roman Reigns responded by reposting the clip on social media with a simple “☝🏽”: the Tribal Chief’s iconic one-finger salute.
GettyJalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks
Brunson might have had the postgame limelight for talking about his WWE fandom, but what he did on the basketball floor in the series-ending game was pretty amazing too. In Game 6, he scored 17 points, dished out 8 assists, and made 2 steals in only 29 minutes as the Knicks crushed the Hawks 140-89.
Since it was already a one-sided game early, Brunson refrained from exerting himself too much – actually, this reflects how absolutely dominant New York’s performance was in finishing the series.
GettyNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
Brunson did not have a perfect game against Atlanta always. Based on the first 4 games he averaged only 25.5 points on 41.6% shooting, which was way below his regular-season figure of 46.7% from the field.
Yet, Brunson reserved his top-notch game when it was most necessary. In the 5th game, he scored 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting, including a dominant 17-point fourth quarter which completely destroyed any hope of Atlanta’s comeback, thus resulting in a 126-97 Knicks’ victory.
Over the entire six-game series, he logged 26.3 points, 6.2 assists, and a 46.8% shooting percentage.
GettyNew York Knicks prepare for next round
Now, New York will keep its eyes on the winner of the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers series. Either of these teams would be a tough challenge for the Knicks.
Staying fit is going to be the main thing as they move along. The Knicks have been dealing with injuries all season long, and I suppose that head coach Mike Brown is really wishing to have all players healthy when they start the second round.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for PFSN, Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
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