An Indiana Pacers fan who was harassed and hit with bags of garbage while wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey in New York City has received a special invitation from the Pacers star to attend Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis.
Hans Perez, a firefighter and lifelong Pacers supporter, shared his story Monday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” During the appearance, Perez showed off a Pacers tattoo on his wrist and was surprised by a video call from Haliburton, who delivered the invitation personally.
“I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for Game 4,” Haliburton said. “Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you’re taken care of.” … “All the team’s excited to meet you. It’s all we’ve been talking about.”
Perez went viral over the weekend after a video showed him being followed and heckled by a crowd of Knicks fans in the streets of New York following their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics. Despite being hit with bags of trash, he kept walking calmly, drawing widespread attention online.
“It started getting a little more handsy. Dudes wanted the jersey. I started to get a little nervous,” he told McAfee, saying he started looking for police. “The mob started getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I’m just trying to walk.”
Haliburton and McAfee both expressed sympathy for Perez, who was moved by the gesture. Haliburton invited Perez and a guest to attend Game 4 against the Knicks next Tuesday. Perez, excited by the news, responded with a spirited “Let’s go Pacers!” chant and said he’d figure out how to take the day off work to make it happen.
“I’m pretty sure we can work something out,” he said.
The series between the Knicks and Pacers will be a physical one with bad blood, as it’s a rematch from last year’s playoffs. It took Indiana seven games to get past the Knicks and reach the 2024 Eastern Conference finals. In that victory, Knicks star Jalen Brunson suffered a fracture in his shooting hand.
Game 1 between the Pacers and Knicks tips off Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. ET.
(Photo: Jason Miller / Getty Images)