Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton became public enemy number one for New York Knicks fans when he replicated Reggie Miller’s choke celebration during the Pacers’ Game 1 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals. And after sending them home over the weekend, Haliburton has continued to troll Knicks fans, which has angered WFAN host Sal Licata.
Following the Pacers’ Game 6 victory over the Knicks on Saturday night to advance to the NBA Finals, Haliburton shared a video on X showing a compilation of Knicks fans celebrating in the streets of New York, followed by a clip of him holding up the Bob Cousy Trophy to celebrate Indiana’s win.
‘cers in 6 pic.twitter.com/cCjASm1qNF
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) June 1, 2025
The video has since gone viral, with 3.5 million views and counting. One of those views appears to have come from Licata, who went on a rant on Monday’s edition of The Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata Show.
“New York put you on the map,” said Licata. “You don’t run bleep. We put you on the map. Whether it is Wally Szczerbiak saying he is overrated. Whether it’s his performance against the Knicks a year ago. Whether it’s the Knicks choking one in Game 1, allowing him to again be the villain with the choke sign. Without New York, nobody gives a crap about you, Tyrese Haliburton. You don’t run squat. Here’s what you better hope you run. You better hope you don’t run into a buzzsaw in the Thunder in the Finals.
“Beating the Knicks is not the trophy that you should be trying to get here. You have done that now a couple of times. So stop with the ‘I run New York’ stuff. Stop with your girlfriend on social media. ‘Go New York, go New York, go home.’ Enough, without New York, you are nothing. We made you! We run you!”
.@sal_licata goes scorched earth on Tyrese Haliburton: “New York made you” pic.twitter.com/5tAnvo7Vrx
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) June 2, 2025
Licata is no stranger to unhinged rants over the years, but this is perhaps the most delusional of the bunch.
To suggest that Haliburton, a two-time All-NBA player, is “nobody” without the city that he has sent home in back-to-back postseasons is a take that lacks any real logic.
Haliburton undoubtedly raised his level of stardom in this series against New York, but he “made” himself by playing at an elite level, not the other way around.
As for Licata’s declaration that Haliburton and the Pacers could be running into a “buzzsaw” when they face the Thunder in the NBA Finals, the Pacers are indeed significant underdogs heading into the series. However, considering how the Pacers have overcome the odds and proved doubters wrong throughout their postseason run so far, it would be unwise to count them out again.