Every New York Knicks fan in the world came out of the woodwork during their run to the NBA Finals. Of course, the tried and true fans were front row, from Spike Lee to Ben Stiller to Timothée Chalamet. But then there were people like Taylor Swift, who seemingly didn’t care about sports unless Travis Kelce was on the football field. Moreover, her most noteworthy New York mention was her song “Welcome to New York” over a decade ago.

Naturally, fans were a little dubious that she was actually interested in the Knicks. They thought that she was just hopping on the bandwagon of another major cultural moment. After all, Taylor Swift’s husband was rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers against New York in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But it’s not just fans who think Swift was a little full of it. Some of the players feel that way too. In a since-deleted TikTok livestream (captured by the New York Post), Knicks guards Tyler Kolek and Deuce McBride were asked who was the “fakest celebrity Knicks fan.”

Immediately, Kolek shrugged that so many of them just want to be seen, given the profile of Madison Square Garden. However, if he had to choose one, it would probably be Swift, given how little she would show up otherwise.

Taylor Swift Labeled ‘Fakest Celebrity Knicks Fan’ by Fellow Players

“At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative,” Kolek said. “Because they just want to be seen at the game. They’re not necessarily fans. Maybe Taylor Swift? I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games. I guess she has a lot going on so she can’t come all the time. But it’s a little performative.”

Deuce McBride backed up his teammate on his take, though he was a bit reluctant to draw the ire of Swifties. Instead, he pointed out how Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan would consistently show up to games and appreciated their loyalty.

Taylor Swift famously showed up to Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. She attended the historic Knicks win against the San Antonio Spurs with indie pop stars Este and Alana Haim donning blue and orange ‘Stevie Knicks’ shirts. Additionally, she sat next to Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay.

Swift’s allegiances remain a little unclear, especially since she released “Cleveland!”, in which she celebrates Kelce’s hometown.

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

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In 2011, Taylor Swift fans got a huge surprise when Nelly joined Taylor Swift on stage in Houston. Nelly himself was surprised enough to receive the phone call, but even more surprised when he received payment. On October 28, 2026, the iconic 2000s hip-hop artist appeared on The Breakfast Club podcast and radio show to promote his new reality show, Nelly & Ashanti: We Belong Together. Aside from promoting his new show, Nelly told this bizarre story about flying from his home city, St. Louis, to join Taylor Swift on stage.

On the episode, Nelly stated, “I’ve known her for a long time. Her pops, her management. I’m gonna tell you what really threw me, right? She called me one night, just out of the blue, and said, ‘Yo, Nelly, listen, me and my friends, we made a routine to ‘Hot in Herre’ last night, and I wanna ask you a really big favor.” Nelly explained, “Now, I’m in St. Louis, and she’s in Houston. She said, ‘I got two shows in Houston tomorrow and the next day. Can you come down to Houston and just perform it? I don’t wanna disrespect you. I don’t really have a budget like that.’

He added, “Now, listen to her. She says she doesn’t really have a budget. But she said, ‘What I will do is send my plane. I’ll get your room and all of that. And we only have like $50,000.’ I said, ‘Can you put that in a McDonald’s bag?’ I said, ‘But I would’ve done it for free.'”

Nelly Joins Taylor Swift In Front of 56,000 Fans

Nelly told The Breakfast Club hosts that the money wasn’t an issue. Taylor Swift kept her word and treated Nelly and his family, while her management handed over a McDonald’s bag of cash. “The plane picked me and the kids up and flew us down to Houston because she was doing three or four nights at the baseball stadium, with 56,000 people. They had them rammed in there! We did it, and she was like, ‘Yo, three minutes, three minutes!’ Her manager, Robert Allen, comes out and tosses me a McDonald’s bag with $50,000 in cash.”

“But she was just like, ‘Yo, the jet is there whenever you’re ready.’ And she got us the presidential suite right there. I think it was the Four Seasons, right there by the stadium. Had the whole top floor. We never even saw the room. We went from the show right back to the airport, or whatever the case may be.”

Nelly joined Taylor Swift for a cover of Nelly’s 2010 hit, “Just A Dream”. It was the rapper’s biggest hit since 2005. This isn’t the only time Nelly joined Taylor Swift on stage. In March 2013, Taylor Swift brought her Red Tour to Nelly’s home city, St. Louis. Nelly joined Swift on stage at the Scottrade Center, which has since been renamed the Enterprise Center, to perform “Hey Porsche”. Nelly once again joined Taylor Swift on stage in 2015, during her 1989 World Tour stop in St. Louis, to perform Nelly’s signature hit, “Hot In Herre”.

Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/LP5/Getty Images for TAS

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