What a culmination to an incredible NBA championship. The way the Knicks beat the Spurs in the last minute this past Wednesday night felt nothing short of miraculous. The whole city of New York and every Knicks fan beyond it was in a state of total euphoria about the win from what is arguably the most Jewish team in the NBA.
The New York Knickerbockers played their first game on Nov. 1, 1946, and it was Jewish player Oscar “Ossie” Schectman who scored the first basket in the team’s history.
While the team’s player base is no longer as Jewish as it was back then, its fan base (and the singer of its famous anthem) most certainly is, including many of its most famous fans. And I have to say, watching them celebrate last night’s historic win, I couldn’t help but feel a little emotional — their excitement and joy were truly so palpable.
So let’s kvell with the team’s famous Jewish fans.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller has been a Knicks fan forever, and watching him on the court, he just looks like a proud Jewish dad, filming it all on his iPhone (though, to be fair, he’s a much better cinematographer than most Jewish dads and it’s rumored that all that footage is going to be part of an HBO documentary, so again, a serious Jewish dad level up).
Stiller has been a fan of the Knicks since he was a kid, growing up in New York’s Upper West Side, and he’s been there, watching games for pretty much as long as we can remember. His late father, Jerry Stiller, was also a big Knicks fan, and the two would often go to games together:
He and his wife, Christine Taylor, were there last night after reporting that they burned everything they wore for Game 3 after the Knicks’ loss. Stiller knew from the beginning of the night that the Knicks were going to win last night, and we’re definitely thrilled that he was right:
@espn Nothing but energy from #BenStiller🔥 #knicks #nyc #nba #nbafinals
Timothée Chalamet
Perhaps the most exciting celebrity Knicks die-hard for young fans (aside from Taylor Swift, who was at the game last night!), young Jewish actor Timothée Chalamet is nothing if not serious about his love for the Knicks. Last night, he got so excited he stole the mic from Entertainment Tonight to share his total elation. His courtside bestie, Stiller, obviously joined in.
“I love sitting next to him because it’s the same exact instincts that come up… I feel very connected to him on that level, he’s a real fan,” Stiller said of Chalamet and the experience of watching these games together.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler’s face when the Knicks were trailing by 27 was basically all of us. The Sandman did still take time to take selfies with fellow fans and wore a giant bright orange Knicks sweater, because he’s always here with the basketball fashion — he even wore a Knicks sweater to his wife’s recent movie premiere (she stars in J.Lo and Brett Goldstein’s “Office Romance”). And of course, he was celebrating with the rest of them when they won.
“I grew up with the Knicks, when I was a kid,” he shared with ET back in 1999, “it’s been part of my life my whole life.”
Bryan Greenberg
Actor Bryan Greenberg (“How to Make It in America”) went to the game with his lovely wife and the mother of his twins, Jamie Chung. He seemed truly verklempt when the team won, telling the love of his life that “it’s like when our kids were born, it’s the same emotion.” We’re pretty sure he’s not the only lifelong fan in the room who felt that way:
The Haim sisters (minus Danielle, it appears?)
The Jewish band from LA proved that they’re true fair weather New York fans (to quote their song “Los Angeles,” “New York is cold/I tried the winter there once, nope”) by attending the game with bestie Taylor Swift and wearing punny t-shirts that we found pretty delightful. Estie’s Knickole Kidman shirt even got the actress’ stamp of approval. And of course, they got to sit next to Knicks unofficial videographer Ben Stiller, because their lives are perfect.
Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld
It’s fairly unlikely to see Larry David with a genuine smile on your TV, but last night was one of those rare exceptions. After the Knicks’ win he kvelled with friend and long time collaborate Jerry Seinfeld, sharing his elated disbelief at that amazing finish!
Emmy Rossum
Jewish actress Emmy Rossum (“Shameless”) is a longtime, and we do mean longtime, Knicks fan. She even recalled writing about her love for the team in her 1994 diary and said that when she was in labor with her daughter 5 years ago, she refused to go to the hospital until after the Knicks game (the team, unfortunately, lost that night).
“The Knicks love and commitment is REAL,” she shared with her social media followers, along with a picture of her on a birth ball watching her team play.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember,” she added, and well, so have we, Emmy!
Amy Schumer
Comedian and actress Schumer brought her 7-year-old son, Gene, to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, she did not reprise her Knicks cheerleader routine from her excellent 2015 film “Trainwreck,” like she did last year, but hey, we’ll always have the memories.
Scooter Braun
Music producer Scooter Braun brought his girlfriend, Sydney Sweeney to the game and called her the “greatest good luck charm ever” after the team’s win.
“No words. Thank you. I love these Knicks!!!! Real ones knows what this means to us. One more!” he wrote to his team on Instagram.
Jon Stewart
Comedian Jon Stewart is another longtime fan of the Knicks, and well, he took on the Elmo controversy around the game (the famous muppet — and all to the Jews — infamously tweeted that he was rooting for both teams, earning the ire of even the city’s transportation department), in a truly hilarious way on the Daily Show.
But his happiness seemed very pure when his team won. We’re sure Elmo is happy for him, too.
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