It took 53 years, but the New York Knicks are NBA champions again — and one of the first things Kevin Hart did after the tears dried was demand director Spike Lee gets a ring for his troubles.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94–90 in Game 5 of the Finals on Saturday (13 June), ending the longest championship drought in the franchise's history and sending fans across New York into an emotional frenzy. For the celebrity faithful who have packed the front rows through decades of heartbreak, it was nothing short of a miracle.
"Shout out to Spike Lee, give Spike a ring. He deserves a f—— championship ring. I'm saying it here: give Spike a New York Knicks championship ring. That moth——- has been there for 76 years, in the front row. He's spent $17 million on Knicks games. Give Spike a ring. Congrats, Spike, let's go."
That was Hart, in typically unfiltered form on Instagram, making the case for Lee to receive official recognition from the organisation. It's an exaggerated but heartfelt plea — Lee has actually held season tickets since 1985, the same year Patrick Ewing arrived, making his front-row presence a fixture of Madison Square Garden life for over four decades.
Hollywood Descends on San Antonio
Lee was among a remarkable cluster of celebrity superfans who made the trip to the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio for the clinching game. Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, John Turturro, and Sydney Sweeney were all courtside, alongside a slightly unexpected face in Prince Harry, who watched proceedings alongside NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Chalamet, fresh from back-to-back Best Actor Oscar losses, was caught on ESPN in full celebration mode on the court, declaring the Knicks win was "way rather this than the Oscars." Stiller, who had been filming the entire Finals run on his iPhone, was spotted in a Knicks 2026 NBA Champions T-shirt shortly after the buzzer, summing it up simply: "I feel as happy as I've ever felt. It's pretty amazing."
Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns shared an emotional embrace with his fiancée Jordyn Woods, who had arrived clutching her lucky orange handbag. Woods had told reporters earlier in the day that she and Towns were "living moment by moment" and not getting "too high" ahead of a potential title-clincher. She needn't have worried.
New York Goes Wild
Back in the city itself, watch parties across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens erupted at the final whistle. Law & Order star Mariska Hargitay, a close friend of Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, had dashed straight to Madison Square Garden after two Broadway performances during Game 4 to witness the team's dramatic comeback from 29 points down at the half. She described it with the kind of enthusiasm that only a diehard could muster.
"I love my husband, and our wedding night was great and all, but I think it might have been the greatest night of my life," Hargitay said. "It'll get replayed again and again, not just as an epic moment in basketball, but on the highlight reel of the best moments in sports."
The celebrations extended well beyond the usual entertainment crowd. In a rare moment of political unity, both former President Barack Obama and sitting President Donald Trump offered congratulations to the Knicks. A$AP Rocky and 50 Cent joined in on social media, while Knicks owner James Dolan hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy and offered a rueful acknowledgement to long-suffering supporters: "Hey, New York, I'm sorry it took so long, but here we are."
Spike's Place in Knicks History
As for Lee himself, he has already collected one piece of Knicks championship history — a 1970 Red Holzman ring purchased at auction. But Hart's argument is that a 2026 ring from the organisation would mean something altogether different: a formal recognition of four decades of unwavering loyalty through some of the most painful years in New York sport.
Championship rings are typically distributed by teams to players, coaches, and staff, with ownership also able to extend them at their discretion. There is no confirmation yet that the Knicks plan to honour Lee in this way, but the campaign has begun — loudly, profanely, and unmistakably.
Spike Lee didn't score a single point this season. But ask anyone who grew up watching the Knicks and they'll tell you he was always there, front row, orange and blue, never wavering. After 53 years, that deserves something.
