Knicks guard Tyler Kolek suggested that Taylor Swift could be the “fakest” celebrity fan he has seen courtside at an NBA game, and teammate Miles McBride agreed. The comments came in an NBA 2K League video shared Thursday, in which both players were asked to name the most fake celebrity fan they had seen at a game.
“Maybe Taylor Swift? I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games,” Kolek said of the pop star’s appearance at Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Kolek acknowledged that Swift’s schedule might keep her from attending Madison Square Garden regularly, but he still called her fandom “a little performative.” McBride pointed to Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan, two familiar faces at the Garden, as examples of “solid” celebrity fans.
The Knicks organization offered a different view of Swift’s courtside presence. “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,” the team said in a statement to TMZ.
Swift’s history at Knicks games
Swift has been photographed at Knicks games since 2014, seven years before McBride joined the team and a decade before Kolek did.
She was last seen courtside at MSG on June 10, when the Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. New York overcame a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 over the San Antonio Spurs. Less than a month later, Swift returned to the Garden for her wedding to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce on July 3.
Reaction from fans
Kolek also considered how Swift’s fans might respond to the clip. “I’m going to get some hate from the Swifties,” he said.