Taylor Swift was courtside at Madison Square Garden when the Knicks completed an improbable win with the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. Wearing custom merch, dancing with the fans, she did it all. But before the game, a controversy brewed when Monica McNutt called out the fourteen-time Grammy winner for not being a true fan.

During the broadcast, her colleague, Tyler Murray, was curious and looking to catch a glimpse of Swift for his wife. But McNutt was not impressed. “She’s not a Knicks fan,” McNutt said. “Get out of here, girl.” This remark quickly went viral and became a talking point among netizens. A few hours later, the ESPN analyst apologized.

“Swifties, I appreciate your passion. I said what I said. And here’s the deal: If I’m wrong, I am wrong, apparently, because she’s got an OG Amar’e Stoudemire jersey. I misspoke. I did not know. But here’s the deal, context, I literally just did a piece on celebrity row. I’ve been with this organization for five years. I know these folks. And we just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancé [Travis Kelce]. Obviously, Travis supports the Cavs. She didn’t have any Knicks paraphernalia, so I did not know of her Knicks loyalty. But shoutout, T-Swift. We can be united in orange and blue, like, it’s fine.”

“There are pictures of the Amar’e Stoudemire era. That where the origin story is. Shout out to her because that means she’s been in the trenches. I had just not seen her. Nobody cared about this at all. So you’re thinking, okay, it’s not big of a deal. Let’s move on. I know it was a big deal on the internet, but I was too busy enjoying the actual game.”

As McNutt stated, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, and Timothée Chalamet have frequently occupied the celeb front rows. In fact, it was the first time since 2014 that Taylor Swift came to the iconic MSG, alongside the Haim sisters, Este and Alana.

The pop icon paid tribute to her longtime musician friend Stevie Nicks with a custom “Stevie Knicks” T-shirt, a matching bow, and black jeans. Este complemented the moment with a playful “Knickole Kidman” top. Alana wore a “Knickleback” tee, all complimenting the to the NY-themed spectacle.

Swift owns a residence in New York and also has a professional connection with the arena, having performed there eight times. She penned a song dedicated to the city, “Welcome to New York,” included on her 2014 album: 1989. That’s when she attended the NY Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls at MSG with then-best friend Karlie Kloss. Just a few weeks later, she was courtside again during the Knicks-Magic game. That’s when a picture of her wearing a No. 13 Knicks jersey (her lucky number) with Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire also resurfaced.

In fact, Stoudemire is the reason Swift became a Knicks fan. During an interview with TIME magazine in 2014, the popstar explained that she had become friends with the forward when meeting him and his wife in the Met Ball, calling them the “most normal people” there. The two were even seen having fun in Knicks practice, when Stoudemire lifted Swift to make her dunk a basketball.

Since the previous appearance came more than a decade ago, it’s possible that McNutt missed it. Her frustration also came because just last month, Swift was in the Cavaliers’ arena. And the Swifites had a problem with another broadcaster.

Taylor Swift fans took issue with broadcasters

New Yorkers were upset when she attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals (Knicks vs. Cavaliers) in Cleveland courtside with her partner, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, in May 2026. But Kelce later insisted it was a “fun date night,” not a chance to “persuade Taylor into being a Cleveland sports fan.” During the game, she was trending again, but not for her celebration because the broadcasters seemingly failed to acknowledge her name.

During Taylor Swift’s appearance alongside Travis Kelce, Mike Breen said, “Travis Kelce and his fiancée, here at the game.” Richard Jefferson added, “Travis and his girlfriend are in the building; that’s always great to see.” Now, the statements weren’t the problem. But people online strongly felt that the broadcasters should have addressed Swift by her own name rather than as Kelce’s partner.

The power couple did not react to it back then. And nor has Taylor Swift reacted to McNutt’s comments. While it remained a hot topic for a while, the Knicks’ comeback win on the back of OG Anunoby’s tip-in was the main headline.