Acclaimed actor Timothée Chalamet has made a surprising declaration, stating he would rather witness the New York Knicks claim an NBA championship than win an Academy Award himself. His comments came moments after his hometown basketball team ended a 53-year title drought, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Chalamet, who has been nominated for an Oscar three times – in 2018 for 'Call Me by Your Name', in 2025 for 'A Complete Unknown', and this year for 'Marty Supreme' – was an ardent supporter throughout the Knicks' play-off run. He was notably seen embracing players, including Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, on court after the final buzzer on Saturday, and later joined the team for the traditional champagne spray in the locker room. When offered protective goggles, he reportedly joked, "I don't deserve them. I'm not an athlete."
The New York Knicks’ victory, closing out the series 4-1, marks their first NBA title since 1973 when they triumphed over the Los Angeles Lakers. The long-awaited success sparked jubilant celebrations across New York City, with fans congregating outside Madison Square Garden and throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Public watch parties, such as the one in Bryant Park which drew approximately 5,000 fans for earlier games, highlighted the immense anticipation for this win.
The championship game in San Antonio saw Chalamet joined by a host of other celebrity Knicks loyalists, including director Spike Lee, and actors Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan. Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Mariska Hargitay, and Taylor Swift were among the notable figures following the finals from courtside seats in New York. Ben Stiller expressed profound happiness after the win, while Mariska Hargitay had previously described a dramatic Game 4 comeback as the "greatest night of my life" after her wedding.
Knicks captain Jalen Brunson delivered a standout performance, scoring 45 points in Game 5 and earning the Finals MVP award. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani swiftly announced on social media platform X that the city would host a ticker-tape parade next week to honour the team, stating, "For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment."