I am very happy that the Knicks won the NBA Finals. I lived in New York State for most of my life, and I lived in Manhattan for 17 years. I know enough about sports to know the Knicks always disappoint their fans in the end, and no one really thought that they were going to pull it out this year either. But Jalen Brunson was incredible, and they won.
So, go Knicks!
Entitled Celebs
But there are a couple of things we have to discuss about what happened during the series. First, there are the absurd people who rioted in the streets, burned school busses, and hurt 10 cops as a ‘celebration.’ They are just derelicts. It happens when Philly wins, too. My husband Doug likes the Eagles, so we see it. What is wrong with these people?
And then there is the celebrity element.
If you watched any of the playoffs or finals, Ben Stiller is someone you kept seeing in the front row, which is called “Celebrity Row,” alongside Timothée Chalamet, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Taylor Swift (at least for game three), and others.
During a pre-game interview on Inside the NBA last week, Charles Barkley asked Stiller, whom he called a “real fan,” how long he has been a season ticket holder. Much to Barkley’s surprise, the actor revealed he doesn’t pay for season tickets – or any kind of tickets for that matter:
“I get the tickets… They just give us the tickets… I don’t think I could afford the Knicks season tickets front rope. No, I’m lucky… I think it’s because I’ve been coming for so long, you know… They feel I’m a loyal fan. Our family’s been coming forever, so I’m lucky enough to get that.”
Ben Stiller can absolutely afford the seats. That is a lie. I didn’t realize that these celebrities are getting in for free. I guess NBA commissioner Adam Silver gifts them like Anna Wintour over at the Met Gala. He sprinkles his little fairy dust on the ones he thinks people want to see there.
God forbid they have a contest where they give it to the New Yorker who is most down and out or lost his job in this difficult economy or in Mayor Mamdani’s hideous New York. God forbid they give it to a Make a Wish kid. No, we have to look at Taylor Swift be fake excited with her nitwit friend.
More Entitled Celebs
That’s bad enough, right? Well, enter actor Hank Azaria. He started off strong by ripping on Taylor Swift during an interview on The Dan Le Batard Show.
“I tell you the one that bothered me was Taylor Swift,” he said. “I know she’s the hugest thing in the world. But we had to sit with her all through the NFL, and now she’s at [Madison Square Garden]. Come on.”
But it all went downhill from there once The Simpsons star talking about his own freebies. Azaria said “celebrities are scattered” throughout the venue and “you only see the A+ list down at the bottom.” Everybody else, he said, “is stuck wherever,” which for him meant he was “way up in what they call the Cisco Suites, which are, like, the ceiling” for game four.
He claimed he was up “up in the rafters” with the likes of Ed Burns, Christy Turlington, and Yankee superstar Aaron Judge to name a few in the suite where the tickets were complimentary.
I’m sorry, but this is so out of touch. What a missed opportunity by Hank Azaria. I would say, ‘I was so thrilled to be there. I am so grateful to the Garden for making sure I had a seat. That was so generous of them. I saw my Knicks win. I have nothing but blessings.’ You started off strong and then you fell apart, Hank Azaria.
A Shocking Hat Tip
Finally, I have to acknowledge something that pains me, but I must do it. There were all these Knicks fans on the streets of New York watching on jumbotrons that were put up for the games. They were packed in like sardines. It added a lot to watch their reaction when the Knicks won. Their reaction and how happy they were is exactly what you wanted to see.
Smushed in with the one of those crowds, I saw Jon Stewart. He was standing outside in a baseball hat with the everymen, and, I have to say, I admire it. He didn’t go inside the Garden. Jon Stewart absolutely could have afforded a $6,000 ticket or more, and he chose to spend it that way. I like it when people do that.
And he didn’t seem to do as Meghan Markle would have by making sure he got in front of the camera. He was just there watching the game and cheering and somebody caught him on camera from the side. When I saw that I thought, Good on you, man.
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,339 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.