MSG had waited 53 years for another NBA championship, and opening night gave New York plenty to celebrate. But amid the emotional banner ceremony, the Knicks’ beloved celebrity fan supplied his own entertainment. One unexpected jab at Bronny James quickly changed the mood.
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It left Carmelo Anthony laughing beside Tracy Morgan who had no intention of holding back.
During NBC Sports’ Show Time Desk pregame show, Morgan joined the panel featuring Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady ahead of the Knicks’ matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The panel teased Morgan about whether he would cry during the celebrations.
And the comedian embraced the moment before landing a passing jab at the Lakers guard.
“I know I’m gonna cry tonight. It’s been a long time; it’s definitely time to turn the page; it’s time to defend. We gonna run it back. I’m not scared. We not scared of nobody. And Bronny looks like he got JUCO ball written all over him. I just wanna say what I’m feeling. What you want? I love my Knicks,” Morgan said.
Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony’s immediate reaction to Morgan’s Bronny James comment was laughter. He then followed it with a slight jab at the emotional Knicks fan: “You gonna cry tonight. That’s what I want to see.”
Before the conversation could head deeper, Vince Carter cut in.
Carter then asked Morgan whether the banner raising or the presentation of the championship rings would bring him to tears. Morgan recalled, “Well, I cried when in San Antonio. The Knicks fan base needs to be studied and observed. We move; We take over a stadium; We take it over.”
Yet it was the Bronny James remark that caught everyone’s attention. Let’s break it down. The “JUCO ball” without doubt is a basketball insult.
JUCO refers to junior college basketball, a level below major NCAA Division competition. Tracy Morgan reiterated the popular shade thrown at him: Is Bronny suited for the NBA? Here, he turned the live interview into a roast of LeBron James’ son.
The timing made the comment even more noticeable.
The Lakers waived Dalton Knecht hours ago to meet the league’s 15-player roster limit, while keeping Bronny for his third NBA season.
Knecht was the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft; Bronny went 55th in the same class. Knecht had shown flashes of his shooting explosion at times. It includes a 37-point game (9 3-pointers) against the Utah Jazz as a rookie. The decision reignited criticism of the Lakers’ roster choices and the attention Bronny receives because of his father.
Carmelo Anthony’s reaction added another layer to the exchange.
The former Knicks star has a long friendship with LeBron, dating back to their time as NBA rookies in 2003 and Olympic teammates. Their sons, Bronny and Kiyan Anthony, have also developed a friendship of their own. That made Melo’s laughter at Morgan’s comment an especially interesting sight. Even if the moment was clearly part of a playful pregame exchange, it seemed conflicted.
Interestingly, LeBron James was also inside MSG, preparing for his Sixers debut with the Sixers.
The Knicks’ banner night was supposed to celebrate a championship. Instead, Morgan gave the broadcast a viral moment of its own, with Bronny becoming the unexpected target and Melo struggling to keep a straight face.