It takes a lot to make a four-time Oscar nominee shrug off a gold statuette — but the New York Knicks managed it without breaking a sweat.
Timothée Chalamet was courtside at San Antonio's Frost Bank Center on 13 June when the Knicks clinched their first NBA championship since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in a nail-biting game five of the Finals. And the Dune star didn't hold back when the final buzzer sounded.
"Way rather this than the Oscars. Come on baby! Knicks are champions, baby!"
The clip, shared by ESPN and immediately reposted across social media, sent sports fans and film lovers alike into a frenzy. For a man nominated for Academy Awards for Call Me By Your Name, A Complete Unknown and Marty Supreme, among others, it was quite the declaration — and the internet absolutely lapped it up.
Chalamet Rushes the Court, Then Pops Bottles in the Locker Room
Dressed in a Knicks T-shirt, denim shorts and orange and blue trainers, Chalamet had been visibly on edge throughout the match. But as New York slowly began to take control, he was up on his feet, jumping and shouting with every basket.
When the final whistle blew, he rushed the court along with other jubilant fans before heading into the locker room to celebrate with the players themselves — champagne and all. "THEY DID IT," he wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the scenes.
The Beautiful Boy actor has been a fixture courtside all season, often joined by girlfriend Kylie Jenner, who has embraced his Knicks devotion with apparent enthusiasm. Chalamet has spoken warmly about his roots as a fan, previously telling 7PM in Brooklyn: "My grandma was a huge Knicks fan, so that's what turned me onto them. If you live in New York, you are a Knicks fan."
A Star-Studded Night for New York's Finest
Chalamet was far from the only famous face soaking up the historic moment. The crowd at Frost Bank Center read like a guest list for the Met Gala.
Not everyone made it in person. Jennifer Lopez celebrated from her living room, posting a clip of herself jumping for joy in front of the TV. "I remember the last time the Knicks were making a run for the championship and rushing home every game day from the set to watch Ewing, Starks and Oakley," she wrote. "You restored faith, hope and belief... You set the city on fire!!"
Hollywood's Unlikely Love Affair With the Knicks
The passion on display at the Finals was no one-off. Throughout the Knicks' playoff run, celebrity courtside appearances became almost as talked-about as the basketball itself. Taylor Swift attended game four alongside rock band Haim — all kitted out in bespoke Knicks merchandise — while Kylie Jenner became a regular presence alongside Chalamet.
For entertainment fans, half the fun has been watching Hollywood's biggest names completely lose their cool over a basketball game.
For Chalamet, though, this was always personal. And after 53 years of waiting, New York finally gave its most famous fans something worth cheering about — Oscars be damned.
