Pacers, Indy Fire Department Team Up To Welcome Fan Who Was Harassed By Knicks Fans

When Hans Perez landed in Indianapolis on Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers made sure he arrived in style.

Perez, a Pacers fan and firefighter who was pelted with garbage last week for wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey outside Madison Square Garden, was given tickets and accommodations in Indy for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals — courtesy of Haliburton and the Pacers.

MORE: Tyrese Haliburton Surprises Pacers Fan Who Got Pelted By Bags Of Garbage In New York

The team joined forces with the Indianapolis Fire Department to surprise Perez as he landed at Indianapolis International Airport. Firefighters drove Perez in their truck to his hotel, where Boomer and the Pacemates (the Pacers dance team) waited to greet him. They also loaded him up with baskets full of Pacers swag.

"Having this welcome and you guys bringing me in like this, this is awesome," Perez said in a video posted by the team. "I love this and I appreciate this. Thank you guys. Thank you."

Viral footage from May shows a swarm of Knicks fans heckling Perez and throwing bags full of trash at him as he tried to walk away. The Knicks had just defeated the Boston Celtics in the Semifinals and were preparing to face the Pacers in the ECFs.

The footage caught the attention of ESPN personality Pat McAfee, who invited Perez to come on his show to talk about what happened. That's when Haliburton made a surprise appearance via video call and offered to fly Perez and a plus-one to Indiana for Game 4.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of," Haliburton told Perez. "All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about."

The Pacers lead the series 2-1 heading into Tuesday's game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

So far, the team has given Hans Perez the red carpet treatment. But the nicest thing they could do for him — and for all their fans — is to take a two-game lead before the series heads back to NYC.