Before the greatest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals, New York Knicks analyst Monica McNutt was confused about the presence of Taylor Swift at Madison Square Garden.
McNutt, who has worked as a radio voice for the Knicks since 2023, was heard discussing Swift’s appearance on celebrity row with play-by-play man Tyler Murray before Game 5. Her comment: “She’s not a Knicks fan, get out of here, girl.”
Unfortunately for McNutt, the internet heard that comment, and the response was loud enough that she responded via TMZ street interview on Thursday, less than 24 hours later.
She apologized for the error, citing the fact that she hadn’t seen Swift at a Knicks game in the past couple years and wasn’t aware she was a fan:
“Swifties, I appreciate your passion, I said what I said. Here’s the deal, if I’m wrong — I am wrong apparently because she’s got an original Amar’e Stoudemire [Knicks] 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 his organization for five years. I know these folks: Ben Stiller, his wife Christine [Taylor], Spike Lee, Fat Joe. I had not seen her here this year or last year and we just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancé [Travis Kelce for Game 3 of Eastern Conference finals].
“Obviously, Travis supports the Cavs. She didn’t have any Knicks paraphernalia, so I did not know of her Knicks loyalty. But shoutout to T. Swift, we can be united in orange and blue, it’s fine.
As McNutt mentions, Swift has been known to be a Knicks fan for quite a long time. In 2014, she told Time Magazine she’s loved the team since performing at a halftime kids talent competition when she was 12 or 13 and had developed a friendship with then-Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire.
We have photographs to accompany that note as well.
So it appears Swift’s attendance, wearing a “Stevie Knicks” t-shirt and flanked by her friends Este and Alana Haim (and their “Knickelback” and “Knickole Kidman” shirts), was quite natural, as was her euphoria-fueled friendship with “Law and Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.
McNutt does not appear to be sweating the error. She had bigger things to worry about Wednesday:
“I knew it was a big deal on the internet, but I was too busy enjoying the actual game because I got it like that.”
Game 5, in which the Knicks can clinch their first NBA title since 1973, is scheduled for Saturday in San Antonio (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).
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