New York Knicks analyst Monica McNutt has apologized after questioning Taylor Swift’s loyalty to the team before Game 4, a remark that spread quickly once viewers caught it on the broadcast. The moment turned into a fast-moving internet conversation, and McNutt addressed it less than 24 hours later in a TMZ street interview.
McNutt said she misspoke after assuming Swift was not a Knicks fan because she had not seen her at games in recent years. She also pointed to the lack of Knicks gear at the time, saying she did not know of Swift’s connection to the team.
What McNutt Said After the Backlash
In the TMZ interview, McNutt told Swift’s fans, “Swifties, I appreciate your passion, I said what I said. Here’s the deal, if I’m wrong — I am wrong apparently because she’s got an original Amar’e Stoudemire [Knicks] jersey.”
She added that she had just done a piece on Celebrity Row and was familiar with several regular attendees, including Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Spike Lee, and Fat Joe. McNutt also said she had not seen Swift at the arena this year or last year and had just seen her in Cleveland with Travis Kelce for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
“Obviously, Travis supports the Cavs. She didn’t have any Knicks paraphernalia, so I did not know of her Knicks loyalty,” McNutt said. She ended by saying, “But shoutout to T. Swift, we can be united in orange and blue, it’s fine.”
Swift’s Longstanding Knicks Connection
As sports.yahoo.com noted, Swift has been linked to the Knicks for years. In 2014, she told Time Magazine that she had loved the team since performing at a halftime kids talent competition when she was 12 or 13.
She also said she had developed a friendship with then-Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire, which helps explain the jersey McNutt later mentioned. Swift’s appearance at Madison Square Garden in a “Stevie Knicks” T-shirt, alongside her friends Este and Alana Haim in “Knickelback” and “Knickole Kidman” shirts, fit that longtime connection.
The singer was also seen with Mariska Hargitay, adding to the celebrity energy around the game. McNutt did not seem overly concerned by the controversy, saying she was too busy enjoying the actual game to focus on the online reaction.
Game 5, where the Knicks can clinch their first NBA title since 1973, is scheduled for Saturday in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN.