Two Knicks players named Taylor Swift the team's fakest celebrity fan, calling her courtside visits a little performative. Fair comment, or a cheap shot?
Guards Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride made the remarks on an NBA 2K livestream on Thursday, and named Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan as genuine regulars. The Knicks replied that Swift has been a fan for many years and has a long history with Madison Square Garden, where she married Travis Kelce in July.
What happened
During an NBA 2K livestream on Thursday 5 November, Knicks guards Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride were asked to name the least genuine celebrity fan they had seen courtside at Madison Square Garden. Kolek said celebrity attendance felt "very performative" and named Taylor Swift, saying he didn't know if he had seen her at any other games. McBride agreed, and named Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan as genuine. A Knicks spokesperson said Swift has been a fan for many years and thanked her for her support.
Why people disagree
Kolek's point is a familiar complaint: famous faces turn up for the big playoff nights, get on camera and are gone, while everyday fans follow the team all season. He did concede she "can't come all the time". Swift's defenders point to a 2014 Time interview in which she spoke about loving the Knicks, games she attended that year, and her long ties to the Garden, where she has performed and got married. They say how often a busy star attends says little about loyalty.
What's still unclear
Whether Swift will respond, whether the players will walk the comments back, and what makes someone a real fan anyway: how many games they attend, how much they know, or how many years they've stuck with the team.
Sources
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