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“You. Are. Cursed.”
It’s the zinger that has tormented WWE superstars Stephen A. Smith and sports teams. Danhausen, the “very nice and very mean” professional wrestling personality who placed his curse on The Miz, Kit Wilson and the ESPN pundit, did something that more closely resembled the former than the latter. He “cursed” the New York Knicks.
Knicks and Knicks fans have been in basketball despair for about 27 years. Ever since the San Antonio Spurs swept them in the 1999 NBA Finals, the joy of watching the Knicks has come in waves.
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Danhausen enters the ring during WWE Backlash at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida on May 9, 2026. (Michael Owens/WWE)
The arrivals of Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony helped bring the spark back into their eyes. Jeremy Lin and “Linsanity” gave them hope and even Phil Jackson becoming the team’s president for three years in the mid-2010s was a moment that would have been etched in fans’ heads for a while if it had led to any success.
But this year’s iteration of the Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, has, so far, erased all the stories of tragedy and small triumphs that never came to fruition. The Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday night with a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Danhausen cursed the Cavaliers, much to the chagrin of Cleveland sports fan The Miz. He even showed up at Madison Square Garden and received a jersey while WWE released a jersey in collaboration with the Knicks. The shirt said: “You are not cursed. »
Miz speaks with Danhausen during SmackDown at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 1, 2026. (Meg Oliphant/WWE)
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Danhausen took a victory lap Tuesday, appearing in a video pulling out a broom to signify sweeping.
“INCURSED,” he added in a separate article on X.
The moment highlights a perfect crossover moment between professional wrestling and mainstream sports. Brunson, himself, is a huge WWE fan and was involved in an angle with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton last year.
Brunson avoided commenting on Danhausen’s shenanigans, but said he and the training staff “recognize” world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns before every match.
“See, these are the questions I want to ask! … I have a handshake with one of our coaches and we recognize him before every match,” he said on April 30 after Reigns won the title at WrestleMania 42.
Whether it’s voodoo, magic, or whatever you want to call it, the Knicks have catapulted themselves into the hearts and minds of basketball fans and become one of the feel-good stories of the year.
Across town, in Queens, the New York Mets are still hoping for an uncursing. But Danhausen made it clear to PK Press Club Digital during WrestleMania week in April that the team isn’t completely out of his curse.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks reacts after scoring during the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York, New York on May 19, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
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“I canceled the Mets curse. But it didn’t work because, I believe, it was Brian Gewirtz who didn’t pay Danhausen. He didn’t send me my money so it didn’t take full effect,” he said. “Once I have the money, maybe it will work, because right now it’s probably half a non-curse. It’s like a layaway situation.”
