<a href="https://www.thebiglead.com/tag/new-york-knicks/" rel="nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek reopened the debate over Taylor Swift‘s fandom by naming the pop star the franchise’s fakest celebrity fan, five months after she sat courtside for the Knicks’ historic NBA Finals comeback.
Asked to name the fakest celebrity Knicks fan during an NBA 2K TikTok livestream Thursday with teammate Miles “Deuce” McBride, Kolek said, “Maybe Taylor Swift? I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games.”
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What did Kolek say about Swift?
Kolek opened his answer with a shot at Madison Square Garden’s celebrity row as a whole before he landed on the 14-time Grammy winner.
“At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative, because they just want to be seen at the game,” Kolek said. “They’re not necessarily fans.”
McBride warned his backcourt partner right away. “Swifties are not going to like that answer,” he said.
Kolek tried to soften the jab, saying, “I guess she’s got a lot going on, so she can’t come all the time,” but added, “It’s a little performative.” He also acknowledged, “I might get some hate.” The two guards pointed to Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan as dependable Garden regulars.
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Taylor Swift’s long Knicks history
Swift’s most recent Knicks appearance came June 10, when she watched New York erase the largest deficit in Finals history and beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4. She wore a “Stevie Knicks” T-shirt and sat with Este and Alana Haim and Mariska Hargitay.
That visit followed a trip to Cleveland for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 23, where she sat with then-fiancé Travis Kelce as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and Ohio native cheered for the Cavaliers. Before Game 4, the singer’s last Knicks game at the Garden came in November 2014 against the Orlando Magic, which supports Kolek’s point about her attendance.
Still, Swift’s connection to the franchise dates to her childhood. She told Time in 2014 that singing at a halftime kids talent competition at 12 or 13 left her with a “sparkly, magical opinion” of the Garden and the Knicks.
Knicks radio analyst Monica McNutt questioned Swift first, getting caught on a hot mic during Game 4 saying, “She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.” McNutt apologized the next day. Swift and Kelce later married at the Garden on July 3.
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Kolek’s role in the Knicks rotation
Kolek made the comments while competing for steady minutes under coach Mike Brown. The backup point guard drew two DNPs to open the season, then piled up 25 assists against two turnovers in four games while guard Jose Alvarado nursed a sprained ankle.
“Tyler is definitely going to keep playing while Jose is out,” Brown said.
Alvarado has since returned, but Kolek still got the backup point guard minutes in Wednesday’s 135-105 win over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with five assists in 11 minutes.
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