Taylor Swift Knicks fan criticism, Digi Mart USA News: After drawing criticism from football fans in 2023 who felt she attended too many games, Taylor Swift has drawn criticism from men in another sport for apparently attending too few. New York Knicks point guards Tyler Kolek and Miles “Deuce” McBride recently called the pop star the “fakest” fan of the 2026 NBA champions, accusing her and other celebrity courtside visitors of being “performative.”
In a clip from an NBA 2K TikTok livestream posted Thursday, Nov. 5, by Deflected, the two men played video games while debating which celebrity Knicks fan they believed was the least authentic. “Maybe Taylor Swift,” Kolek said, and McBride replied, “I would agree.”
Asked what defines a “fake” Knicks fan, Kolek said, “They just want to be seen at the game, they’re not necessarily fans.” He added, “I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games. 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.”
“Swifties not gonna like that answer,” McBride said with a laugh. The two players praised Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan for attending Knicks games consistently, and McBride said, “Everybody else [but Swift] is usually solid.”
In a statement to Billboard, a Knicks spokesperson said, “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.” Billboard has reached out to Swift’s representative for comment.
The 14-time Grammy winner attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals, cheering on the Knicks alongside Mariska Hargitay and Este and Alana Haim in custom Knicks T-shirts. Earlier, she traveled with her husband, Travis Kelce, to watch an away game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kolek noted that Swift may have been busy this season, as she was preparing to release “I Knew It, I Knew You” for Toy Story 5, a song that topped the Billboard Hot 100, in the same month as the NBA Finals, along with other projects. Swift has also faced criticism from football fans over her attendance at NFL games since she began supporting Kelce.
In her 2025 cameo on New Heights, Swift sarcastically responded to that criticism: “I think we all know that if there’s one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens, it’s more of me.”
