Getty Image / Dustin Satloff
The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks are set to play their first playoff series against each other since 1989. These two old rivals are sure to produce a great series that will be full of smack talk both on the court and on the internet.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre has already started the trash talk. The veteran role player took aim at the celebrity fans who frequently find themselves in the front row of New York Knicks games.
“The fans are pretty crazy. They have a really good culture of being wild and loving basketball to the root and the core of it. They call it the Mecca of basketball for a reason. The lights are super bright. They’re going to give celebrities those $100,000 free tickets just to be there and not care about the game, but that’s what they do. It’s going to be super fun and I look forward to it. It’s one of my favorite places to play,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said.
Full disclosure, I’m a diehard Knicks fan. I’m offended for our celebrity fans! Unlike Celebrity Row in Los Angeles, our celebrities are usually pretty into the game. Director Spike Lee is the biggest superfan, and it’s been that way for decades. But, plenty of other regulars like John McEnroe, Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, and Jerry Ferrera clearly care about the team.
There’s no doubt that Madison Square Garden will be rocking Saturday evening for game 1 (6PM ET). The Knicks have been so bad for so long before these last few years that I think people have forgotten that, at its core, New York is a Knicks city more than any other sports team.
For the cheapest seats, tickets for Saturday’s game are at $300 as of Early Saturday morning. It’s going to be a raucous atmosphere for the second-seeded Knicks. And, who knows, maybe a few celebrities will heckle Kelly Oubre Jr.