Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns receive a hero's welcome at WWE event in Madison Square Garden

After leading the New York Knicks to their first championship in more than five decades, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were greeted with thunderous cheers during WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The NBA stars made a surprising appearance in the show, with the crowd cheering for the players as they entered the arena. Brunson received a huge ovation from the New York crowd, while Towns participated in a WWE segment by helping wrestler Danhausen during a match, drawing loud cheers from fans. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were greeted with thunderous cheers during WWE’s SNME event. According to reports, Jalen Brunson entered the arena with Roman Reigns for the final event of the night, showing the wrestler’s signature “The One” gesture. Brunson was presented with a custom Knicks-themed WWE Championship belt before joining Roman Reigns during the show's closing segment. Despite his wrist injury, the Knicks captain briefly got involved in the action while standing ringside. Reports suggest that Brunson was then gifted a custom blue and orange WWE championship belt as the crowd chanted “you deserve it.”Following the entrance, Brunson was greeted by Knicks villain Tyrese Haliburton as Seth Rollins hit Reigns with a sneak attack. With help from Brunson, Reigns ultimately tossed Rollins out of the ring, and he and Haliburton left the stage. The Knicks’ Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy was then brought into the ring, with Reigns holding it in the air as Brunson donned the wrestler’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt. Brunson preferred staying to the side as the two wrestlers duked it out.Jalen Bruson’s entry was also celebrated and acknowledged by WWE in an X post: “Acknowledge GREATNESS. What a night at Madison Square Garden!!”Meanwhile, Karl Anthony Towns helped Danhausen defeat JD McDonagh after making a surprise late-game entrance. During the match, the All-Star center appeared during a match involving Danhausen and Judgment Day members JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio. After making a dramatic entry, Towns delivered chokeslams to both McDonagh and Mysterio, helping Danhausen secure the victory. According to the New York Post, previously, Towns linked up with Danhausen before the event, with the two meeting before Fanatics Fest on Wednesday. When Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin introduced the two to each other, Towns immediately paid his respects to the wrestler for good karma to the Knicks during their finals run.With the entry of the NBA stars, the WWE appearances added another highlight to an eventful offseason for the Knicks' championship duo. Earlier this week, the franchise was honored as the Best Team at the 2026 ESPY Awards, while Brunson also received multiple individual accolades after leading New York to its historic NBA title.