Tyrese Haliburton arrived in style for the Indiana Pacers season opener, paying homage to a heralded WWE moment in the process.
Haliburton, who tore his ACL in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, will make his long-awaited return to the Pacers lineup on Oct. 21 after 486 days on the mend.
To mark his return, the Olympic Gold medalist wore a custom recreation of the denim jacket Triple H wore in his WWE return in 2002.
The Pacers shared a photo of the vintage jacket on Instagram, as shown below.
As wrestling fans may recall, Triple H wore the same denim jacket when he returned from a quad injury at Madison Square Garden in 2002 after a year-long absence.
The crowd pop during his dynamic return is widely regarded as one of the biggest pops in WWE history.
“This is as loud as it is a sustained roar here in Madison Square Garden,” WWE Hall of Fame commentator Jim Ross said. “The Game has returned!”
Tyrese Haliburton Recreates Iconic Triple H Gear
Haliburton, a lifelong WWE fan who has appeared at SmackDown, SummerSlam and WrestleMania, honored one of his childhood icons, Triple H, with his pregame fit on Wednesday.
The All-Star guard arrived at Smoothie King Center, which recently hosted Money in the Bank, wearing a near replica of Triple H’s famed 2002 gear.
When pictures of the Triple H-inspired get-up went viral, the WWE Universe applauded the Pacers star’s fashion sense.
“Ball knowledge,” one fan wrote, adding fire emojis.
“That’s awesome,” an Instagram user wrote.
“Love it,” said another.
“That’s actually really tufff,” an X user wrote.
“Such a killer jacket!!!” another replied.
“That’s a tough tribute,” another Instagram user commented.
A Pacers fan wrote: “I’ve been waiting 16 months for this moment.”
The NBA on ESPN Instagram page also shared side-by-side clips of Haliburton and Triple H donning the denim attire.
“Tyrese Haliburton arrives in Triple H style ahead of his first game in 486,” ESPN wrote.
Tyrese Haliburton Rocks DX-Inspired Sneakers
Tyrese Haliburton’s awesome pregame outfit was not the only WWE-inspired apparel he wore this week.
During the Pacers’ final preseason game on Oct. 16, Haliburton rocked a pair of PUMA sneakers with a lime green colorway inspired by the legendary WWE faction DX.
Haliburton’s new sneaker is the latest chapter of a growing list of shared moments between WWE and the NBA star.
After several ringside appearances and a near in-ring clash with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, Haliburton became a playable character in WWE 2K25.
Months later, the Pacers star teamed up with Seth Rollins at Saturday Night’s Main Event at Madison Square Garden.
Now that he is healthy and moving well again, perhaps Haliburton will one day compete in the squared circle.
For now, his focus remains on helping the Pacers return to the NBA playoffs.
Tyrese Haliburton Pays Homage to WWE Legend at Pacers Season Opener