Iman Shumpert had postgame commitments after the Knicks’ wild Game 4 win.
He decided to make other plans.
The former Knicks guard bailed on an ESPN podcast appearance Wednesday night so he could join the celebration outside Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ dramatic NBA Finals comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Shumpert was set to appear on “The Hoop Collective” podcast but said he instead was heading to Seventh Avenue with J.R. Smith to celebrate with the fans outside MSG.
And he did exactly that.
Video posted to social media showed Shumpert outside MSG in the middle of a swarm of fired-up Knicks fans, smiling, high-fiving and soaking in the scene as the Garden celebration spilled into the street.
Shumpert did not appear to be in any rush to get back to work as he held up five fingers and said “Knicks in five.”
Instead, the 2011 first-round pick leaned into the moment, greeting fans and partying with the same crowd that embraced him during his time in New York.
The scene came after the Knicks erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Spurs, 107-106, and take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
That was more than enough to turn Seventh Avenue into a full-blown Knicks party.
For Shumpert, it was also a reminder of the bond he still has with the city.
He played parts of four seasons with the Knicks after they selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, becoming a fan favorite for his defense, energy and unmistakable style.
He later won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016, alongside Smith, but New York has never quite let him go.
It was a fitting scene on a night when seemingly every Knicks fan in the city wanted to be part of the moment.
The Knicks now head to San Antonio for Game 5 with a chance to win their first NBA title since 1973.
