Basketball Hall of Fame honors Spike Lee's New York Knicks superfandom
Spike Lee has been a New York Knicks fan for as long as he can remember. His earliest recollection of a Knicks game was May 8, 1970, when the team won Game 7 of the Finals for its first-ever NBA championship.
Lee, who was 13 at the time, wasn't sitting courtside but still saw Willis Reed hobble his way to the floor to inspire his team to victory. Still, young Spike dreamed that one day, he would sit as close as possible to cheer on his beloved team.
"Growing up, the guy I looked at was Jack Nicholson," Lee said. "When I was sitting in the blue seats at the Garden, I said, 'Hopefully one day I can sit courtside like my guy Jack Nicholson.'"
The Hall of Fame SuperFan Gallery
On Sunday, Lee joined Nicholson, actor Billy Crystal, and businessman Alan Horowitz as the newest Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's SuperFan Gallery members. Named after businessman James Goldstein, the Gallery was established in 2018 to recognize basketball's greatest and most iconic supporters.
The acclaimed film director has been a Madison Square Garden season ticket holder since 1985. Over the years, he spent at least $10 million to watch his favorite squad at the iconic arena.
Lee celebrated with the Knicks when they won the NBA championship in 1973. However, it has been a long drought for the Orange and Blue as they have made only two NBA Finals appearances since then—in 1994 and 1999—losing both to the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, respectively.
Is this the year for the Knicks?
A lot has changed since those failed title runs. In 2022, the Knicks acquired guard Jalen Brunson, and he has got everybody, including Spike, excited again. The team won 50 games last season for the first time since 2013. This offseason, they added Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, further bolstering their championship chances.
"I saw some Boston Celtic green. Uh-uh," he said on Sunday in Springfield. "It's been a long time, but I think this year it's going to be orange-and-blue skies."
The betting gods agree, placing the Knicks third on the list of favorites to win the 2025 title. Whether they do it or not remains to be seen. What's certain, though, is that Spike, the newest SuperFan Gallery member, will be there cheering for the squad every game.
