Taylor Swift's devoted fanbase, known as Swifties, rallied to her defense after New York Knicks player Tyler Kolek labeled her the "fakest" celebrity fan of the newly crowned champions. The Swifties responded by highlighting Kolek's lack of playing time during the NBA Finals.
Fans took to social media platform X to mock Kolek's bench status. One widely shared post quipped, "Tyler Kolek and Taylor Swift played the same amount of minutes in the 2026 NBA Finals." Another commenter stated, "Tyler Kolek wishes he could’ve performed for the Knicks in the finals." A third fan noted the irony, "If there’s one thing Taylor and tyler have in common is that they were both sitting court side during the finals."
Kolek averaged 6.6 minutes per game over eight playoff appearances but did not play in any of the five games against the Spurs during the Finals. He has averaged 12.2 minutes per game this season, with 2.5 points on 29 percent shooting.
Swift has been a visible presence at Knicks games, including Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Cleveland and Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. During the Finals game, she was seen wearing a blue shirt with "Stevie Knicks" written in orange letters. A Knicks spokesperson issued a statement asserting Swift's long-standing support for the team: "Taylor Swift has been a Knicks fan for many years, has a long history with Madison Square Garden, and we are incredibly appreciative of her support of the organization."
Kolek's comments originated from an NBA 2K TikTok livestream where he was asked about celebrity fans. He stated, "At the Knicks games, I would say it’s very performative because they just want to be seen at the game. They’re not necessarily fans." He then added, "Maybe Taylor Swift? I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games. I guess she has a lot going on so she can’t come all the time. But it’s a little performative."
However, some fans agreed with Kolek, with one person commenting on X, "Lmao Kolek be knowing. She be rooting for the Knicks but she’s not a diehard. She isn’t Anne Hathaway." Another user reminded Swifties of Kolek's own notable plays on Christmas.
Despite the mixed reactions, the Swifties' response underscored their loyalty, with one fan referencing Swift's song "Karma" by stating, "Well, there it is. Tyler Kolek just rang his Karma bell. No one can save him now."