If there was ever a time to challenge the Swifties.
Jalen Brunson, who led the Knicks to the franchise’s first championship in 53 years on Saturday night, took a moment to defend Monica McNutt against Taylor Swift’s fans after the Knicks radio voice drew their ire during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
“You better be good to her,” Brunson said after joyously bumping McNutt. “I just want to say something to the Swifties: She’s a really good one, cut her some slack. It’s all good. I promise.”
On the Knicks radiocast on Wednesday, which was airing on WatchESPN, McNutt was heard taking a shot at Swift who was among the many celebrities at MSG for Game 4.
“She’s not a Knicks fan,” said McNutt in an apparent hot mic moment. “Get out of here, girl.”
While Swift has a home in New York City and has appeared at Knicks games through the years — even taking photographs with players — her fandom was called into question during this posteason after she went to Eastern Conference finals Game 3 with Cavaliers-loving fiancee Travis Kelce.
Kelce, and to a lesser extent Swift, cheered on Cleveland as they got bulldozed by the Knicks juggernaut, 121-108, on New York’s way to a four-game sweep.
Swift then showed up to Game 4 of the NBA Finals with her friends, the Haim sisters, wearing blue and orange Knicks novelty shirts with the pop star’s reading “Stevie Knicks.” Swift went crazy during and after the Knicks’ miraculous 29-point comeback that was the defining game of these NBA Finals.
McNutt apologized to Swift in a street interview with TMZ in between Games 4 and 5.
“Swifties, I appreciate your passion, I said what I said,” McNutt said. “Here’s the deal, if I’m wrong, I am wrong apparently because she’s got an original Amar’e Stoudemire [Knicks] jersey. I misspoke. I did not know. But here’s the deal, context, I literally just did a piece on Celebrity Row. I’ve been with his organization for five years. I know these folks — Ben Stiller, his wife Christine [Taylor], Spike Lee, Fat Joe. I had not seen her here this year or last year and we just saw her in Cleveland with her fiancé [Travis Kelce for Game 3 of Eastern Conference finals].
“Obviously Travis supports the Cavs. She didn’t have any Knicks paraphernalia [on at the game], so I didn’t know of her Knicks loyalty. But shoutout to T. Swift, we can be united in orange and blue, it’s fine.
“I did not know, I apologize if I’m wrong and apparently i am wrong and that fine but I did not know, because come on now — every Knicks fan has been in the building this year. So it’s all good.”
Now, McNutt has Brunson publicly on her side. The newly minted NBA Finals MVP’s moment of support could help calm Swift’s rabid fans after he dropped 45 points in a performance for the ages in Game 5.
Swift’s next trip to MSG will be for her wedding to Kelce slated to take place July Fourth weekend.
