Knicks Guard Tyler Kolek Calls Out Taylor Swift for Being a 'Fake Fan'

Point guard Tyler Kolek landed in the middle of a pop culture storm this week after naming Taylor Swift as the fakest celebrity fan of the New York Knicks.

The comments came during an NBA 2K League video posted on Thursday, Nov. 5, when Kolek and guard Miles McBride answered questions on a livestream.

The question asked who the fakest celebrity fan courtside is, which is a dangerous question for any player in a city full of famous faces.

Kolek first said that a lot of celebrity fandom at Knicks games is very performative because some people just want to be seen, and then he named Swift, as the New York Post reported.

"Maybe Taylor Swift? I don't know if I've seen her at any other games."

McBride agreed with him, and Kolek admitted he was going to get some hate from Swift's fans.

He then tried to soften it a bit, saying she has a lot going on so she cannot come all the time, before adding that it is still a little performative.

The comments spread fast, and in a statement on Friday, the Knicks said Swift has been a Knicks fan for many years, has a long history with Madison Square Garden and that the organization is very thankful for her support.

There is plenty of history to back that up.

ESPN reported that Swift has been photographed at Knicks games as far back as 2014, and she was courtside at the Garden on June 10 when the Knicks completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Knicks went on to win the title, so Swift was there for one of the biggest nights in team history.

I do not think this will turn into a big deal for Kolek, because he was clearly joking around in a relaxed setting, and he gave Swift some credit in the same answer.

Still, it is a lesson for a young player that anything said on camera in New York will be picked apart, especially when it involves one of the most famous people in the world.

Kolek is in his third season after the Portland Trail Blazers took him with the 34th pick in the 2024 draft and traded him to the Knicks.

He has come off the bench in all six of his games this season, averaging 2.5 points and 5.2 assists, and he has talked before about learning from guard Jalen Brunson.

The bigger concern for New York is on the court, where the defending champions are 4-4 after an up-and-down start, and there has been plenty of talk about who is rising and falling on this roster.

Guard Josh Hart is out with right ankle soreness for the game at Cleveland on Saturday, Nov. 7.

In my view, the Knicks should be fine, and there are good reasons not to worry about the title defense yet.

As for Kolek, the best way to move past this is to keep earning minutes, and maybe invite Swift to the next home game.