After anIndiana Pacersfan bravedthe chaos in New York City, its star Tyrese Haliburton ismaking sure he gets taken ofduring the Eastern Conference finals. In the hours after theNew York Knicksdefeated theBoston CelticsinGame 6 of their second round seriesto advance to theEastern Conference finals, a man wearing a Haliburton jersey was seen roaming the streets around Madison Square Garden as Knicks fans flooded the area. The heavily pro-Knicks crowd didn't like seeing someone wear the jersey of not only a heated rival, but of someone who New York will face in the next round. Video showedpeople throwing garbage and berating the Pacers fan as he tried to dodge the onslaught from those taunting him. The video went viral on social media, and formerColtspunter Indiana sports mega-fan and Pat McAfee wanted to find out who the Pacers fan was. He found him, and had him join the popular "The Pat McAfee Show." LADIES AND GENTLEMEN..WE FOUND HIM..JOINING US NOW HANS PEREZ 👏#PMSLivehttps://t.co/Rt3mzpAzgEpic.twitter.com/Yo5lqlPEV5 — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)May 19, 2025 The Pacers fan is Hans Perez, a New York firefighter who told McAfee he's been a die-hard Pacers since he was a kid. He admitted he got too close to the frenzy happening in the streets, and at one point was looking for police. "I don't know if I can go into the mob, but I'm going to go close by and feel the energy, get ready for the series," Perez said about his idea to go out. "It started getting a little more handsy. Dudes wanted the jersey. I started to get a little nervous." McAfee wasn't the only one to see the brave effort from Perez. Haliburton saw the video and joined the show to give Perez a special gift. "I wanna personally bring you and a plus one out here to come to Game 4, here in Indiana," Haliburton said. "Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of. The whole team's excited to meet you." "I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game four..Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you're taken care of" ~@TyHaliburton22#PMSLivehttps://t.co/QN7dTplbIwpic.twitter.com/B8y1iqVO02 — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow)May 19, 2025 Perez was hyped about the invitation, and he now has the chance to see his favorite team play as it tries to reach its first NBA Finals in 25 years. Guess the brave action turned out to have some benefit. Game 1between New York and Indiana tips off Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Tyrese Haliburton offers gift for Pacers fan that braved Knicks crowd
