After he called Taylor Swift’s New York Knicks fandom “performative,” star guard Tyler Kolek backtracked and proved that he’s a real Swiftie.
Jordan Clarkson posted a video of Kolek celebrating the Knicks’ win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Nov. 7. He was singing his heart out to “Blank Space” in the locker room with food in hand
“He apologizes…the kid is okay,” Clarkson wrote over the video, which was originally posted on his Instagram Stories. “He’s a Swiftie.”
His singing was passionate, but it’s unknown if that will be enough to earn him a cameo on stage with Swift in the future. Either way, it’s great to see that he is a real fan of hers.
How Tyler Kolek called out Taylor Swift’s Knicks fandom
Kolek and his teammate, Miles McBride, went viral for comments made on Deflected. They were asked who the “fakest celebrity fan” of the team is. Kolek had to answer first since McBride made the next basket in their game of NBA 2K. He called out the “performative” fans he sees, believing that they use the Knicks to clout chase. Swift attended the Knicks’ Game 4 comeback in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
“At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative ’cause they just want to be seen at the game; they’re not necessarily fans,” Kolek said. “Maybe Taylor Swift. I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games.”
McBride warned Kolek, “Swifties not gonna like that answer,” before giving a shoutout to longtime fans Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan. Kolek tried to backtrack, acknowledging that she might have “a lot going on so she can’t come all the time.” And yet, he found it “a little performative.”
The Knicks issued a statement after Kolek’s comments, saying, “Taylor Swift has been a Knicks fan for many years, has a long history with Madison Square Garden, and we are incredibly appreciative of her support of the organization.”
