JALEN BRUNSON WEIGHS IN ON TAYLOR SWIFT KNICKS CONTROVERSY AS HE DEFENDS RADIO HOST WHO TOLD POPSTAR TO 'GET OUT' OF MSG ON HOT MIC

 New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson used his winning momentum after claiming the NBA title to try and call off the Swifties on behalf of his friend Monica McNutt

McNutt drew the ire of fans of Taylor Swift after the pop star was spotted at Madison Square Garden for Game 4 of the NBA Finals last week.

In an apparent hot-mic moment, McNutt was heard saying, 'She's not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.'

Her fans then jumped to her defense - pointing to Swift's multiple past appearances at MSG for Knicks games and her residence in New York City.

After the backlash, Brunson took the radio host's microphone during a post-game interview to advocate on her behalf.

The Finals MVP playfully bumped McNutt before saying, 'I just want to say something to the Swifties: She's a really good one, cut her some slack. It's all good. I promise.'

Jalen Brunson attempted to call off the Swifties from MSG radio reporter Monica McNutt

McNutt made a comment about Taylor Swift attending Game 4 of the NBA Finals

McNutt apologized to Swift saying she was unaware of the singer's history with the Knicks

After the backlash, McNutt provided an open apology to Swift, saying her feelings came from the singer's previous attendance in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Cleveland alongside fiancée and Cavaliers fan Travis Kelce.

'Swifties, I appreciate your passion, I said what I said,' McNutt told TMZ in a street interview between Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals. 

'Here's the deal, if I'm wrong, I am wrong apparently because she's got an original Amar'e Stoudemire [Knicks] jersey. I misspoke. I did not know. 

'But here's the deal, context, I literally just did a piece on Celebrity Row. I've been with his organization for five years. I know these folks — Ben Stiller, his wife Christine [Taylor], Spike Lee, Fat Joe. I had not seen her here this year or last year and we just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancée.

'Obviously Travis supports the Cavs. She didn't have any Knicks paraphernalia [on at the game], so I didn't know of her Knicks loyalty. But shoutout to T. Swift, we can be united in orange and blue, it's fine.

'I did not know, I apologize if I'm wrong and apparently I am wrong and that fine but I did not know, because come on now — every Knicks fan has been in the building this year. So it's all good.'

- JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER

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Jalen Brunson became the first player in NBA history to win the NBA Cup, the Conference Finals MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season.

🔸NBA Finals MVP

🔸Conference Finals MVP

🔸NBA Cup MVP 

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TAYLOR SWIFT AMONG PROMINENT CELEBRITIES AT MSG FOR NBA FINALS GAME 4

 

Taylor Swift (center) and Este Haim attend Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. Al Bello / Getty Images

The New York Knicks arrived at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night hoping to Shake It Off after their Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. 

And MSG had a new famous face in celebrity row for Game 4, with pop star Taylor Swift in the house getting another look at a venue she may soon know All Too Well.

The 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist joined the Knicks’ celebrity contingent with the team holding a 2-1 series lead. Swift is reportedly scheduled to marry Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden on July 3, turning Wednesday night’s finals appearance into something of a scouting trip for her future wedding venue.

While significant security measures were in place for Donald Trump’s attendance at Monday night’s game, the president spent much of the evening in a bulletproof-encased suite alongside Knicks owner James Dolan near the top of the arena.

Swift, meanwhile, sat courtside with Alana and Este Haim, and the rest of New York’s celebrities, including Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Fat Joe. Swift showed her support for New York’s team while wearing a “Stevie Knicks” shirt.

It’s not the first NBA playoff game Swift has attended this year. Alongside Kelce, Swift sat courtside for Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals in Cleveland between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks. Kelce is a Cleveland native and a known Cavaliers fan. However, both Swift and Kelce were condemned to watching Jalen Brunson score 30 points and lead his Knicks to a 121-108 win over Cleveland to go up 3-0 in that series on the way to a 4-0 sweep.

- Devon Henderson

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NBA FANS OUTRAGED DJ KHALED SPENDS INSANELY EXPENSIVE KNICKS-SPURS GAME 'ON HIS PHONE'

Maybe when DJ Khaled said “I’m on One,” he meant his cellphone.

The record producer and famed DJ was sitting on celebrity row sandwiched between rapper Fat Joe and former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs at the Garden.

But Khaled, as shown on the ABC broadcast, appeared to be spending plenty of time on his phone while the action was going down.

It didn’t sit well with a number of users on social media.

DJ 

Khaled and Fat Joe attend a game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 8, 2026 at Madison in New York, New York.

NBAE via Getty Images

“DJ Khaled sitting courtside on his phone all night is making me irrationally angry, ” Christopher Powers, a senior writer at Golf Digest, wrote on X.

“DJ Khaled won’t get off of his phone sitting court side and it’s really making me angry,” Dana Beers of Barstool Sports chimed in.

Another user speculated on what Khaled was really doing while sitting in prime real estate at the World’s Most Famous Arena.

DJ Khaled and Fat Joe in their seats before the start of NBA Finals Game 3 on June 8, 2026.
Jason Szenes for the New York Post

“DJ Khaled went to MSG to answer emails,” they wrote.

Tickets to the game were the most expensive ever for an NBA Finals contest, with get-in prices starting at four figures.

Before the game, Khaled shared a video of himself with Yankees great Alex Rodriguez and a picture that included himself, Fat Joe and Rev. Al Sharpton.

Khaled was far from the only celebrity on hand for the Knicks’ first NBA Finals home game since 1999.

Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Spike Lee and even President Donald Trump were all in New York to see the historic game.

- Andrew Battifarano

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FILE - Actor Elliott Gould, left, joins Donald Trump, center, and Marla Maples at courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, in New York, March 6, 1991. (AP Photo/Steve Freeman, File)

The New York Knicks are expecting quite a special guest as the team hosts the San Antonio Spurs with President Donald Trump hinting that he plans to attend Game 3 on Monday, June 8. Will Trump attend today’s NBA Finals game?

Nothing will be a certainty until Trump is spotted at the game, but all signs point to the president being at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks already announced increased security measures for Game 3 and have canceled the watch party outside Madison Square Garden out of precaution.

New York mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected to attend the game, but will be in a different section of Madison Square Garden, per BBC. Trump revealed that Knicks owner James Dolan invited him to Game 3, and the president also left the door open to attending Game 4 as well.

“The answer is yes — he’s invited me, I’m going,” Trump noted on June 5, 2026, per The Hill. “I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan. …Maybe I’ll do both.”

Here’s what you need to know about Trump attending today’s Spurs-Knicks game.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Donald Trump: ‘I Was There at Many Knicks Games With Him in the Old Days’

NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted that Trump “was a big Knicks fan.” Silver added that Trump worked with the NBA on several commercials prior to transitioning from the business world to politics.

“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said of Trump, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. “I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days.

“He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden, and he actually appeared in one of our ‘I love this Game’ spots when I was running NBA Entertainment years ago.”

Knicks Star Karl-Anthony Towns Has Been Critical of Donald Trump

Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is among the NBA players who have been critical of Trump. Back in 2017, Towns called out Trump for his response to the Charlottesville, Virginia, rally.

“I was shocked by how our President responded to Charlottesville,” Anthony wrote in an August 26, 2017, story for The Players’ Tribune titled, “There Are More of Us Than There Are of Them.” “Our President was given a layup: Denounce white supremacists. And he couldn’t … and wouldn’t. He missed … he missed badly.

“… It’s disheartening when our President doesn’t understand his words carry a tremendous amount of weight. It’s really hard to see our President refuse to stand up for what’s right — at a time when the country needs it. Especially for minorities.”

Donald Trump on Knicks: ‘I Don’t Think They’ve Lost a Playoff Game’

Trump praised the Knicks’ hot streak pondering whether New York has lost a playoff game. Ahead of Trump’s appearance, the Knicks have won 13 straight games and hold a 14-2 record in the postseason.

“I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan,” Trump noted, per The Athletic. “He’s a nice guy, OK? He’s spent a long time wanting to win and he’s a competitive guy and he’s got a team that’s amazing. I don’t think they’ve lost a playoff game. Can you imagine that?”

- Jonathan Adams

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