Bad blood? Knicks defend Taylor Swift after players accuse her of being ‘fake fan’

Kolek calls singer’s courtside appearances ‘performative’McBride agrees as teammates question celebrity fandomKnicks give statement saying Swift is longtime supporterTaylor Swift’s love story with the New York Knicks caught an unexpected stray after two players from last season’s NBA champions accused the singer of being a fair-weather fan.The Knicks released a statement on Friday defending Swift after two of their players questioned whether the pop superstar was a genuine supporter of the team. Continue reading…

The NBA champions defended the pop superstar’s longtime support after two of their players questioned whether her courtside enthusiasm was genuine Taylor Swift’s love story with the New York Knicks caught an unexpected stray after two players from last season’s NBA champions accused the singer of being a fair-weather fan. The Knicks released a statement on Friday defending Swift after Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride questioned whether the pop superstar was a genuine supporter of the team. The reserve guards were asked during an NBA 2K livestream on Thursday to name the least authentic celebrity fan they had seen courtside at an NBA game.

“At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative because like they just want to be seen at the game,” Kolek said. “They’re not necessarily fans. Probably Taylor Swift.” McBride agreed with the assessment, while Kolek acknowledged that his comments could provoke a backlash from Swift’s supporters. “I’m going to get some hate from the Swifties,” Kolek said. “I guess she’s got a lot going on, so she can’t come all the time, but … it’s