Awkward moment reporter caught on hot mic ‘dissing’ Taylor Swift during basketball game
Taylor Swift's appearance at Game 4 of the NBA Finals got plenty of people talking but not everyone was thrilled to see her courtside.
The 36-year-old superstar was among a star-studded crowd at Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks edged out the San Antonio Spurs in a dramatic Game 4 victory. The win puts the Knicks one game away from their first NBA championship since 1973, with a chance to seal the title in Game 5.
Swift arrived wearing a 'Stevie Knicks' shirt and was joined by the Haim sisters and Mariska Hargitay. Fellow A-listers Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner were also in attendance, alongside longtime Knicks supporters Ben Stiller and Spike Lee. Adam Sandler, Jimmy Fallon and Hailey Bieber were among the other celebrity faces spotted in the crowd.
But while fans were excited to see Swift at the game, her appearance sparked a wave of social media debate after New York Knicks lead radio analyst Monica McNutt was caught on a hot mic making a pointed remark about the singer.
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During the broadcast, the radio team appeared to be trying to confirm whether Swift was inside the arena. As they scanned the crowd, someone could be heard asking: "Is that Taylor Swift down there?"
Once Swift was located, McNutt quickly responded: "She's not a Knicks fan, get out of here, girl."
The comment quickly spread online, prompting strong reactions from fans and media personalities alike.
Among those weighing in was Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, who defended Swift's long-standing connection to the Knicks. In a social media post, Portnoy questioned why Swift was being singled out when Madison Square Garden was packed with celebrity guests.
"Hate to see Monica McNutt going after Taylor Swift," he wrote. "There are plenty of new faces in the crowd, but she doesn't seem to be calling them out. The Knicks are unraveling."
Tyla has contacted McNutt's representatives for comment.
Is Taylor Swift actually a New York Knicks fan?
The controversy seems to have started because just a few weeks ago, Swift and her fiancé, Travis Kelce, sat courtside at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night (23 May) as the Cavaliers hosted the New York Knicks.
The pair took their seats in Cleveland's Rocket Arena shortly before the opening tip, and fans were quick to share their elation on social media, seeing the couple out and about ahead of their wedding.
Kelce is a Cavaliers fan, and people have now accused Swift of switching sides to the Knicks. One wrote: "Women have no concept of sports loyalty. One week they're a big Cavs fans, as soon as that team loses they'll hop on the ride of whoever is winning at the moment."
The problem with this argument, though, is that Swift has been attending Knicks games for over a decade. And she wasn't wearing any Cavaliers merch, while she was decked out in Knicks apparel yesterday.
In the past, she's been pictured with her arm around former Knicks player Jerome Williams, and also photographed attending 2014 games with superfan Ben Stiller and Amanda Seyfried and a 2015 game with Jimmy Fallon.
So it seems like she has the bona fides and is just as excited as every other Knicks fans about the team being this close to victory.
Hitting back at criticism of Swift, one fan wrote: "She went to a Cavs game with her fiancé. She wasn’t wearing Cavs gear. Should she have stayed home?"
Another said: "She has been a Knicks fan, for yearssss."
Topics: Taylor Swift, Celebrity, Sport
Greg Harris