A spokesperson for the New York Knicks stated after two players on the team questioned her fandom.
“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 spokesperson said.
This came after Tyler Kolek and his teammate Deuce McBride answered some questions on the “NBA 2K League” livestream on Friday, November 6, one of which was about who the fakest celebrity fan they had seen courtside at a game was.
“At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative because, like, they just want to be seen at the game. They’re not necessarily fans. Probably Taylor Swift,” Kolek answered, adding that he knew he was “going to get some hate from the Swifties” before adding, “I guess she’s got a lot going on, so she can’t come all the time, but … it’s a little performative.”
McBride agreed with those sentiments, saying fans such as Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan are “solid.”
Taylor Swift Support The Knicks During Finals Run & Was Married At Madison Square Garden
Over the summer, on July 3, Swift held one of the most important events of her life at the home of the beloved basketball team, marrying Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden.
But that’s not all, as the singer was spotted sitting next to her friends Alana Haim, Este Haim, and Mariska Hargitay at Game 4 of the NBA Finals, donning an iconic “Stevie Knicks shirt.” She was also there in Cleveland for the Eastern Conference Finals game when the Cavaliers played the Knicks, as her husband is from Cleveland.
According to TMZ, her past with the Knicks even goes back to 2003 when she sang in a halftime talent contest at just 13 years old.
Swifties Show Support
As expected, Swifties rallied around the singer, showing support and defending her following the thoughts shared by Kolek and McBride.
“A bench player calling Taylor Swift a fake fan while she was supporting the Knicks before he even joined the team? 😭 Babe, maybe worry about getting minutes instead of policing who’s allowed to cheer. 💀,” one person commented.
“Uh @tyler_kolek…fyi…anytime your employer @nyknicks has to issue a statement to clean up your mess it’s not good! Next time try to be more appreciative of ALL the fans that go watch your team play!!!,” another person shared.
“Taylor Swift was in fact rooting for the Knicks when they were at their worst and she was at one of the best spots in her career. She’s not some Stiller level Knicks fan but I’ve seen faker celeb fans is what I’m saying,” one fan penned.
“She was rooting for them before he was even on the Knicks. 😂,” another fan said.
“🤬If anyone really knows Taylor they would never doubted that,” a fan wrote.
“Love Tyler Kolek but he is wrong about Taylor Swift was going to Knicks games and making songs about New York when Kolek was in diapers,” someone expressed.
Taylor Swift Gets Support From Knicks After Player Questions Her Allegiance