Taylor Swift was not courtside for Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night, opting not to travel to San Antonio as the New York Knicks attempted to close out the Spurs and capture the franchise’s first championship since 1973.
Swift’s absence came three days after her high-profile appearance at Madison Square Garden, where she watched the Knicks complete the largest comeback in NBA Finals history while generating a wave of attention across sports and entertainment media.
No credible reports, photos, or media sightings placed Swift anywhere near Texas for the potential clincher â geography alone made the overnight turnaround a long shot, with San Antonio sitting well over a thousand miles from New York, according to Yahoo Sports. But that didn’t stop numerous other celebrities from making the journey to San Antonio.
Taylor Swift’s Game 4 Appearance With the Knicks
Swift turned heads at Game 4 on June 10 at Madison Square Garden. She arrived at her courtside seat in a custom blue “Stevie Knicks” shirt and was surrounded by Este Haim, Alana Haim, and Mariska Hargitay, the group decked out in coordinated Knicks-themed outfits, according to NBA.com.
New York then erased a 29-point deficit to beat San Antonio 107-106 on OG Anunoby’s put-back with 1.2 seconds on the clock, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Travis Kelce was not at MSG for Game 4. He was back in Kansas City at Kansas City Chiefs mandatory minicamp, expressing support from a distance by liking social media posts about Swift’s attendance.
Kelce was also absent from San Antonio. No reports placed him traveling to Texas for Game 5, though minicamp ended on Thursday.
A viral story claiming the Spurs formally banned Swift from Game 5 had no basis in fact. San Antonio did adopt a ticket policy after Game 4 that favored buyers located within roughly 150 miles of the city, but no restriction targeting Swift personally appeared in any credible reporting â fact-checks confirmed the claim traced back to a parody account.
If San Antonio forces a Game 6, the calculus shifts. That game would return to Madison Square Garden â the same arena where both TMZ and Page Six have reported Swift and Kelce are planning a July wedding ceremony.
Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee Among Stars at New York Knicks Game 5
While Swift stayed home, a traveling Knicks celebrity brigade filled the courtside rows at the Frost Bank Center. Timothée Chalamet showed up in a blue Knicks shirt and sunglasses, accompanied by Marty Supreme director Josh Safdie.
Spike Lee was working his pregame routine in custom Knicks Air Jordan 3 sneakers, catching up with Do The Right Thing stars John Turturro and Giancarlo Esposito before tip-off. Turturro, who has held Knicks season tickets since 1968, made an appearance on Inside the NBA before the game.
Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Fat Joe, and Sydney Sweeneo also made the trip south, per the New York Post. Knicks legends Patrick Ewing and Allan Houston were spotted inside the building as well.
“I’ve been crying since Wednesday,” Morgan said, according to USA Today â a reference to the Game 4 comeback that left the entire Knicks universe shaken.
New York supporters purchased roughly 54 percent of the available Game 5 tickets, according to Yahoo Sports.
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