Argue all you want about whether Taylor Swift bleeds blue and orange. The New York Knicks, though, are thorough Swifties. Following a hard-fought 109–97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night, the New York Knicks’ postgame locker room was filled with a very specific, undeniable energy. For the most part, it was proving the Knicks and Taylor Swift are a united front. Others, as some very amused fans speculate, are about not letting Tyler Kolek have peace in the locker room.
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According to Beat reporter Fred Katz of The Athletic, the defending NBA champions engaged in some not-so-subtle trolling of one of their own, turning their postgame celebration into a full-blown Taylor Swift listening party.
Katz reported from inside Rocket Arena in Cleveland, tweeting in real time about the unexpected playlist selection inside the visitors’ locker room occupied by the Knicks following Jalen Brunson’s 31-point clinic and Karl-Anthony Towns’ 29-point effort.
“The Knicks are BLASTING the song Shake It Off in the locker room,” Katz tweeted shortly after the game.
He followed up minutes later with another update: “They are now blasting You Belong With Me. Entire Taylor Swift playlist for postgame.”
It has to be a loud statement for it to be that audible. Well, Kolek is not shaking this off for a long time.
The deliberate choice of music comes directly on the heels of a viral faux pas involving Knicks guards Tyler Kolek and Miles “Deuce” McBride.
During a recent NBA 2K Q&A, Kolek was asked to name the most “fakest” celebrity fan he had seen courtside at Madison Square Garden. Kolek singled out Swift, suggesting that some stars attending games are “performative” rather than genuine fans.
McBride backed Kolek’s take, jokingly warning that “Swifties aren’t going to like that answer.”
As Deuce predicted, Swifties indeed did not like the answer. Much like they did with MSG sportscaster Monica McNutt, they pulled up receipts from when Swift was a regular in the Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire ‘Knickstape’ era.
The massive online backlash from Swift’s global fanbase forced the Knicks front office to step in and release an official statement disavowing the players’ takes:
“Taylor Swift has been a Knicks fan for many years, has a long history with Madison Square Garden, and we are incredibly appreciative of her support of the organization.”
The official organization statement, coupled with Saturday night’s locker room playlist, made it clear that the Knicks are eager to clear the air and embrace the pop superstar. Swift’s history with the organization runs deep, dating back to 2003 when a 13-year-old Swift sang during a halftime talent contest at Madison Square Garden. More recently, Swift was courtside for Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals during New York’s historic championship run, and she even held her July wedding to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at the iconic arena.
Perhaps they felt a statement wasn’t enough and had to show some Swiftie loyalty in the locker room. It’s not clear who planned it or with what intent, but Knickerbockers are absolutely amused. They’re debating whether this was the most shameless PR stunt ever or if the entire organization is trolling Kolek for making himself the enemy of the most cutthroat fandom of this decade.
Interestingly enough, this move came in Rocket Arena during the Knicks’ game against the Cavs. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were in the same arena during the playoffs, cheering for the Cavaliers, and no one batted an eye because Kelce is a Cleveland native and a vocal Cavs fan. The Knicks would sweep the Cavs in that series on the way to a championship, with Swift back on the Knicks bandwagon, minus Kelce. Meanwhile, the Rocket Arena seat Swift was seated on would fetch $7,000 in an auction.
Tonight, the Knicks showed zero signs of rust on the floor in their first matchup against Cleveland since sweeping them in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals. Jalen Brunson took total control of the contest in the second quarter, putting together a blistering personal 18-point scoring run to build a comfortable lead.
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell mounted a fierce fourth-quarter comeback attempt, scoring 21 of his season-high 37 points in the final frame. However, Brunson’s timely playmaking, including nine assists, and crucial late-game jumpers sealed the road victory for New York.
By the time the Knicks could extend their winning streak against the Cavs, Taylor Swift was back in the chat. Now we’d just have to wait for their next move to uphold their rep in the Swiftie fandom.