The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder are one win away from the chance to defend their NBA Championship against the New York Knicks. It will likely be a tall order for the incumbent to hold onto the Larry O’Brien trophy, and never simply because they first should defeat the tallest participant within the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation, 7’4″ San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, one closing time (out of doubtless two remaining video games). It’s additionally not solely as a result of the Knicks beginning 5, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Cities, are enjoying lights-out basketball on behalf of New York Metropolis (the bench has been wonderful too). No, the primary impediment standing in the way in which of repeat-NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a comic-relief WWE wrestler.
Danhausen will not be your typical WWE Famous person. Positive, he can wrestle some, however lately, Donovan Andrew Danhausen is the primary comedy act on the primary roster. That’s no slight: Danhausen entertains youngsters and adults alike in what’s a key position for a well-rounded skilled wrestling locker room. Additionally, he sells a shitload of merch. In his transient time in WWE, Danhausen has already haunted (and defeated) the league’s former court-jester extraordinaire, The Miz (Miz, I’d argue, is the higher in-ring performer), in addition to YouTuber IShowSpeed, (Chad) Gable, Dominik Mysterio and Equipment Wilson. Not precisely the 4 Horsemen, however nonetheless.
Danhausen’s best efficiency since his awkward Feb. 28 WWE debut (it… did not land) has been, with all due respect to Mitchell Robinson, as sixth man for the New York Knicks. Not actually, in fact: Danhausen is 5’10” and like 180 lbs. in full make-up.
On April 17, someday earlier than the 2026 NBA Playoffs tipped off and two days previous to WrestleMania 41, Danhausen appeared on ESPN’s morning present First Take, “cursing” the Knicks by means of diehard fan Stephen A. Smith. (ESPN paid handsomely for WWE’s premium reside occasion rights, like WrestleMania, within the U.S.) Although the curse-ed Knicks received Sport 1 the next night in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks, they then dropped the subsequent two video games in opposition to the underdog in dramatic trend — the back-to-back playoff losses have been by one level apiece, which is (fairly remarkably) the primary time that’s occurred in NBA historical past.
If you’re unfamiliar with Danhausen’s work, he’s mainly a weirdo demon of kinds who goes round placing hexes on his foes. These curses are sometimes positioned upon a wrestling opponent, they usually normally play out in a means that satisfies Danhausen followers each comedically and competitively.
On April 28, Danhausen lifted the curse on the Knicks in a Cameo video. Danhausen subsequently cursed the Hawks, and later the Knicks’ Japanese Convention Finals opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers (Miz’s crew). New York has not misplaced since, rattling off 10 straight victories additionally in historic trend to make the NBA Finals for the primary time since 1999. (Technically, the Knicks received the evening earlier than the Cameo was posted to X as properly; it’s unclear when Danhausen really recorded the video.)
Early yesterday (ET), shortly after the Knicks accomplished their second-straight playoff sweep (the primary being in opposition to the Philadelphia 76ers), Sportico reporter Lev Akabas tweeted: “The New York Knicks just played the most dominant 10-game stretch in NBA history, and it’s not even remotely close.”
Akabas introduced the scatter diagram to show it. The 2026 playoff Knicks have received their most up-to-date 10 video games by a +246 margin, blowing away the outdated file of +214 by the 1974 Milwaukee Bucks. The most important differential in what we’d think about the present NBA era was beforehand +206 by the 2017 Golden State Warriors.
By the way in which, Akabas isn’t simply charting the NBA Playoffs; he’s additionally charting the common season. The truth that the Knicks’ streak has come in opposition to groups that, by advantage of creating the playoffs, ought to be thought of among the many greatest within the Japanese Convention solely additional punctuates the purpose. It has been an inexplicable run — some might say supernatural. That’s kind of Danhausen’s factor.
Each the WWE Store and the NBA Retailer have capitalized on this second, selling officially licensed Danhausen/Knicks shirts that includes the character’s painted face, the Knicks emblem and the phrases “You Are Un-Cursed.” It stays to be seen if Danhausen will curse the winner of the Spurs/Thunder collection, however he additionally virtually definitely will. We requested WWE, they didn’t play ball — they’re most likely saving it for some ESPN second.
Very good, very evil.
