Do the Knicks’ NBA championship hopes hinge on the temperament of one of WWE’s newest and biggest stars?
Before you completely disregard that previous sentence, let’s dive into what it actually means.
For the uninitiated, Danhausen made his debut at WWE’s Elimination Chamber premium live event in February. One of the most eccentric personalities in a world built on them, Danhausen’s debut was met with a lukewarm reaction from the wrestling world, partially due to an overhyped build-up. At the time, there was no telling how he would factor into WWE programming, let alone find himself as a tangential figure in the NBA playoffs.
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Quite literally everything about Danhausen is equal parts bizarre and captivating. The way he talks, his mannerisms, his obsession with jars of teeth and — perhaps most importantly — his penchant for curses. Clad in black-and-white facepaint, Danhausen’s persona wasn’t unfamiliar to wrestling fans who had followed his career before he came to WWE, but within a matter of weeks after his debut, the newcomer had become arguably the most entertaining character in the company and was deployed in seemingly every promotional way.
Enter Stephen A. Smith.
During an appearance on “First Take” to promote WrestleMania 42, Danhausen got into it with Smith, and cursed him right in the middle of the Knicks’ first-round playoff series against the Hawks. The Knicks, the higher seed with an undeniable edge in experience and roster talent, suddenly found themselves down 2-1 to Atlanta.
After Danhausen received “human money” in the form of a Cameo video request, he lifted the curse on the Knicks.
Soon after, the Knicks eliminated the Hawks in Game 6 after opening up the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history. They are now 7-0 since the curse was lifted, having also swept the Philadelphia 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Earlier this month, after winning a tag-team match against The Miz and Kit Wilson at Backlash, Danhausen laid out his terms to keep the curse lifted — courtside seats for the Eastern Conference Finals at MSG next to Timothy Chalamet.
Is it completely ridiculous? Yes, but crossover wrestling moments like this are embedded in the Knicks’ DNA.
Take Jalen Brunson, the All-Star point guard who isn’t just a pro-wrestling fan — he even sparked a scare in June 2024 during an in-ring moment with Tyrese Haliburton. Brunson’s fandom is so well known he was asked about Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania 42 win over CM Punk after the Knicks eliminated the Hawks. Brunson admitted he has a Reigns-inspired handshake with one of the team trainers.
Karl-Anthony Towns, an avid collector, has made headlines recently as he chases WrestleMania debut patch auto cards from Topps’ various WWE sets. Towns revealed that he was outbid for the Randy Orton 1-of-1 card earlier this month and has since placed a $60,000 bounty on a similar John Cena card.
The Knicks are set to continue their playoff run next week, eying their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999 and potentially first NBA championship since 1973.
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Assuming they stay on Danhausen’s “very nice” side.
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