Wrestling fans turned New York’s playoff surge into another bizarre curse storyline.
Summary
– Danhausen’s Cavaliers curse became a running joke as the Knicks swept Cleveland
– New York advanced to the NBA Finals after a dominant Eastern Conference Finals run
– Fans online credited Danhausen’s oddball wrestling gimmick for Cleveland’s collapse
Danhausen found himself tied to one of the stranger crossover stories of the NBA postseason after the New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Before the series, Danhausen put one of his signature curses on Cleveland. Once the Knicks rolled through the Cavaliers and secured a trip to the NBA Finals, wrestling fans quickly turned the moment into a full-blown online joke.
The bit fit perfectly with Danhausen’s long-running character work, which has often centered on strange curses, awkward threats, and offbeat humor. Whether anyone believes in the curse is beside the point, because fans had plenty of fun connecting it to Cleveland’s downfall.
New York’s run was powered by Jalen Brunson, who has been open about his wrestling fandom and has appeared on WWE programming in the past. That connection made the story even easier for wrestling and basketball fans to share.
The Knicks completed the sweep with a decisive Game 4 win, sending the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Cleveland, meanwhile, became the latest team to get caught in the middle of Danhausen’s very weird and very funny curse lore.
THE NEW YORK KNICKS ARE HEADED TO THE NBA FINALS!!!!!!!!!!
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 26, 2026
