Unhappiness Within WWE Over Severity Of New York Knicks Involvement At Saturday Night's Main Event

To capitalise on the New York Knicks becoming NBA champions, the July 18 edition of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event from Madison Square Garden had a heavy presence from the basketball team.

Knicks players Karl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson both appeared at WWE SNME, with Brunson even involved in the main event segment of the show as he made his entrance alongside World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns. That segment involved a "greatness recognises greatness" promo from Reigns, before Brunson was presented with his own replica World Heavyweight Title belt.

Brunson then stopped Seth Rollins from laying out Roman Reigns following a Tyrese Haliburton distraction, and Saturday Night's Main Event went off the air with Reigns holding up the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and Brunson raising the WWE World Heavyweight Title.

The involvement of the New York Knicks received a mixed response from pro wrestling fans, particularly those who have no association with the New York Knicks or even the United States, and the response within WWE wasn't overwhelmingly positive either.

WrestleVotes on Fightful Select has reported that day-to-day decision-makers at WWE weren't "exactly enthusiastic" about the sheer extent of the New York Knicks' integration into Saturday Night's Main Event.

There was an understanding about the atmosphere due to the show taking place at MSG and the Knicks capturing the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, but the feeling within the company was the presentation went further than many would have preferred. It was also noted that some backstage within WWE simply aren't that big into sports.