Ben Stiller has an incredible Hollywood resume as an actor, producer, director, and writer. But first and foremost, he’s a Knicks fan.
A staple at Madison Square Garden throughout the regular season and playoffs, Stiller has also been cheering on his Knicks on the road during the postseason, as he was in the building in Indiana for Game 4 against the Pacers, sitting next to fellow actor and diehard Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet.
Stiller and Chalamet have become quite the tandem when it comes to cheering on the Knicks, and Stiller explained on The Putback with Ian Begley, how he and Chalamet have formed a bond over their beloved team.
“We met each other over the years a few times and I’m a fan of his, he’s a great actor, always seemed like a nice guy,” Stiller said. “Saw him at some Knicks games and then we were at the Detroit series and were both looking to go to Detroit, so we decided to go together and got to know each other.
“Genuine Knicks fan through and through. New Yorker, New York kid, and has a true appreciation of the game and no trouble calling out the refs during a game, too.”
While sitting courtside in Indiana, Stiller and Chalamet, along with Spike Lee, were the subject of a WWE-style roasting by TV personality and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee.
“We got some bigwigs from the big city in the building. Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here. Let’s send these sons of bitches back to New York with their ears ringing,” McAfee said to pump up the crowd during the fourth quarter of Game 4.
Stiller was able to get a good laugh out of it, though, saying on The Putback that Indiana had an ‘amazing, amazing atmosphere,’ and that McAfee should head to the Big Apple for Thursday night’s Game 5.
“I have to say, I was not familiar with his game. I did not know that was coming,” Stiller said.
“I did know that Timothée has been on his show and I was like ‘Oh, that’s your boy, that’s your guy,’ so then when that happened I was a little bit like ‘Whoa, okay.’ But the WWE aspect, I get it. It’s just not the way it happens in New York.
“He should come to the Garden for Game 5. They’ll put him up on the screen and they’ll show him punting the ball, and everybody will give him a nice cheer. That’s how we do it in New York.
“But I get it. It was fun. I feel like he was just trying to get the crowd riled up. It was a little bit out of the blue… it just seems a little cartoonish, but then again it goes with the WWE.”
Knicks fans can certainly expect to see Stiller and Chalamet on Thursday night at Game 5, as the Knicks look to stay alive and flip the momentum in the series, with Indiana up 3-1 in the best-of-seven set.
Any chance we’ll get to see the two actors mic’d up during the game?
“They don’t want to do that,” Stiller said with a laugh. “I’m telling you.”
You can watch Stiller’s full appearance on The Putback by clicking here.
Read the full article here