.jpg)
3 days ago
10
PROTECT YOUR DNA WITH QUANTUM TECHNOLOGY
Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by Adpathway2 NBA Fans Banned for Life After Storming Court During Knicks vs. Spurs Game
Karl-Anthony Towns had a special person with him on the court.
The Knicks center-forward (affectionately known as KAT) said he was visited by the presence of his late mother Jacqueline Cruz during the Game 1 of the NBA finals, which saw the New York team beat the San Antonio Spurs.
“I don't know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that I don't know had to be come from the woman above,” Karl told Shaquille O’Neal after the June 3 game. “So, I felt really confident about today. I felt good, you know, I felt like a kid. It felt like it was just fun out here. This is something that, as a kid, you always dream about. You always hope that you just hope to be an NBA player, let alone to be in the NBA finals. And all day was just a weird feeling.”
In fact, the 30-year-old likened the feeling to when he would prepare for his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) games back when he was a kid and Jacqueline—who died in 2020 after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in the first months of the pandemic—was there to support him.
“In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands, and it was just.. it was fun,” KAT continued. “It was really fun, and it was really comforting, because you know, Game 1 of the NBA finals, you told how the pressure is going to be, and everything is, and I don't know, it felt like a certain presence was here that was very comforting and very loving.”
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
But despite expecting to “have the pressure at the highest” during the NBA finals, instead the basketball player just “felt like I could have fun.”
Also helping calm his nerves was the presence of his fiancée Jordyn Woods—to whom Karl popped the question in December after nearly five years of dating—who was sitting courtside during the away game at Frost Bank Center.
After all, the 28-year-old has been KAT’s biggest supporter throughout the 2025-2026 NBA season.
And when the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Championship—which they would go on to sweep in four games—Jordyn penned a moving tribute to her future husband.
Matei Horvath/Getty Images
“I’ve watched you make it to the Conference Finals three years in a row,” she captioned her May 27 post. “Through every high and low, you’ve kept your head down, stayed optimistic, and remained the most consistent, genuine teammate, family member, and now fiancé. No matter where life takes us, it’s only up from here. NBA Cup Champions, Eastern Conference Champions… and now just 4 more wins.”
Jordyn continued, “Couldn’t be more honored to be on this journey with such an incredible human being. I love you!!! Let’s go NY.”
For more celebrities always sitting courtside at the Knicks every chance they get, read on.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Timothée Chalamet
When it comes to Timothée Chalamet's fandoms, his love of the New York Knicks reigns supreme.
"My grandma was a huge Knicks fan, so that's what turned me onto them," the Marty Supreme star told 7PM in Brooklyn in 2025. "If you live in New York, you are a Knicks fan."
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Kylie Jenner
And if you've been keeping up, then you know Kylie Jenner has been joining Chalamet, whom she's dated since 2023, courtside to cheer on the Knicks.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Ben Stiller
You could never sever Ben Stiller's tie to the Knicks. In fact, the Severance director said that if he could choose between winning an Oscar or having the team take the championship title, he'd pick the latter.
"I really think, at the end of the day, if I knew that I had the choice, I would give it to the Knicks," he said on New Heights in 2025, "because I knew at least I had the choice in this weird, non-real situation."
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a longtime Knicks superfan and believes the 2025-2026 roster has what it takes to secure the trophy.
"I don’t care about San Antonio. OKC,” the filmmaker told the New York Post in May 2026. “We’re going to win.”
Elsa/Getty Images
Tracy Morgan
Nothing could rock Tracy Morgan's love for the Knicks. As the 30 Rock alum put it on The Rich Eisen Show in 2021, "I'm the biggest Knicks fan there is besides Spike."
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Fat Joe
What's Luv? The way Fat Joe feels about the Knicks.
In fact, hours before the Knicks confirmed their appearance in the finals, the rapper reflected on the decades the team struggled, noting to ESPN, "It’s time. We paid our dues."
Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Pete Davidson
Live from New York...it's Pete Davidson. The Saturday Night Live alum has often been seen sitting courtside.
Elsa/Getty Images
Chris Rock
Chris Rock's loyalty to the Knicks is no laughing matter as the comedian has attended many games over the years.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Larry David
Larry David isn't going to curb his enthusiasm for the Knicks.
Lloyd Bishop/NBC via Getty Images
JB Smoove
And neither is his costar JB Smoove.
"How it started vs How it ended," the actor wrote on Instagram in 2024. "It’ll always be Knicks for life."
Jordyn Woods / Instagram
Jordyn Woods
Jordyn Woods' love for the Knicks extends on and off the court. The Woods by Jordyn founder is engaged to the team's center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Elsa/Getty Images
Cardi B
While Cardi B has a song called "Bodak Yellow," she's all about that orange and blue. In fact, the rapper and former Patriots player Stefon Diggs officially debuted their romance at a 2025 game between the Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images
Anne Hathaway
Is Anne Hathaway wearing the Chanel boots Knicks colors? Yeah, she is. The Devil Wears Prada star showed where her loyalties lie by donning an orange and blue pocket square to The Tonight Show in April 2026.
"I’m very chill," she told host Jimmy Fallon about her fandom. "I’m very loving and calm. But I’m also the type of fan that I considered wearing an OG jersey out here today."
Al Bello/Getty Images
Jimmy Fallon
Speaking of which, Fallon is also a big fan of the Knicks, with him even bringing his eldest daughter Franny along for the ride during the 2026 NBA playoffs.
David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Michael J. Fox
You don't have to travel back to the future to see how much Michael J. Fox loves the Knicks. The actor has gone to many games with his wife Tracy Pollan.
Al Bello/Getty Images
Jon Stewart
Throughout the Knicks' ups and downs, Jon Stewart has continued to support the team, with The Daily Show host calling himself a "ride or die" fan.
Instagram / Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers
A Knicks win is music to Maggie Rogers' ears as the singer has documented her love for the organization.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
English (US) ·