Entertainment
New York Knicks Distance Team From Player Comments Calling Taylor Swift Fake Fan
The basketball franchise defended the pop singer after point guard Tyler Kolek criticized her attendance at Madison Square Garden during a live broadcast.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by Page Six, TMZ and Sportsnet.ca
The New York Knicks issued a statement distancing the franchise from point guard Tyler Kolek after he called pop singer Taylor Swift a performative celebrity fan during a livestream broadcast on Thursday.
Kolek, 25, singled out Swift during an NBA 2K TikTok livestream alongside teammate Deuce McBride, questioning her commitment to the basketball team after she attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals in June.
The remarks prompted the organization to publicly defend Swift's long history with Madison Square Garden in an effort to avert potential backlash from the musician's global fan base.
"Maybe Taylor Swift. I don't know if I've seen her at any other games," said Kolek during the broadcast.
"I'm gonna get some hate from the Swifties... I guess she's got a lot going on so she can't come all the time... but it's a little performative," said Kolek.
"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," said a Knicks spokesperson.
McBride, 26, agreed during the broadcast that Swift's supporters would react poorly to the assessment while praising actors Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan as dedicated fans of the team.
Swift attended the June championship game alongside musicians Alana and Este Haim as well as actress Mariska Hargitay at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in that game and later secured their first championship in 53 years.
Prior to the finals, Swift had attended a playoff game in Cleveland alongside Travis Kelce to watch the Cavaliers compete against New York.
Her playoff appearances drew criticism from several public figures, including actor Hank Azaria, who expressed frustration on a radio show about her courtside seating.
Media personalities Charlamagne Tha God and Dave Portnoy also criticized the musician's presence at basketball games during their respective broadcasts earlier in the year.
Representatives for Swift did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the basketball player's remarks.
Reporting from
- Page Six
Taylor Swift slammed as 'fakest' New York Knicks fan by team player Tyler Kolek
- TMZ
Knicks Star Tyler Kolek Slams Taylor Swift For Being a 'Performative' Fan
- Sportsnet.ca
Bad blood? Knicks issue statement after Tyler Kolek calls Taylor Swift 'performative'
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 3 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.