The New York Knicks are NBA champions for the first time since 1973, overcoming another deficit to defeat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center.
And it was Jalen Brunson who cemented his legacy with his 45-point performance on Saturday night, closing out the series 4-1 and ending the longest championship drought in franchise history.
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While reveling in his newly minted Finals MVP status, Brunson also took a moment to address a completely different demographic: Taylor Swift fans.
Jalen Brunson Addresses Taylor Swift Fans After Leading the Knicks to NBA Glory
Game 5 was another tale of two halves, as the Knicks had another come-from-behind victory against a San Antonio side that just cannot hold on to leads. Brunson carried the offense whenever the Knicks struggled in Game 5, erupting for 15 points in the fourth quarter en route to a dominant closeout performance.
Brunson’s 45 points broke the franchise record for most points in a Finals game, surpassing the 38 scored by the late Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970.
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Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, the other members of the “Nova Knicks” trio who won the 2016 NCAA title together at Villanova, chipped in with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
SEE ALSO: WATCH: Knicks Star Jalen Brunson Breaks Down in Tears After Ending New York’s 53-Year Championship Drought
However, amid the championship celebrations, Brunson dug up an unexpected pop-culture storyline specifically aimed at “Swifties.”
Looking to cool the tensions around radio announcer Monica McNutt and the recent drama, Brunson said, “I just want to say something to the Swifties. She’s [McNutt] a really good one. Cut her some slack. It’s all good. I promise.”
The message was a direct response to a viral incident from Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
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During that broadcast, McNutt was caught on a hot mic noticing Swift in the celebrity row and remarking, “Is that Taylor Swift? She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.”
The moment drew “swift backlash,” as fans flooded social media to point out Swift’s documented history with the Knicks.
McNutt subsequently apologized, admitting that she was not aware that Swift was a long-time supporter of the Knicks.
MORE: ‘Team of Destiny’ — NBA World Erupts As Knicks End 53-Year Championship Drought With Game 5 Win vs. Spurs
Meanwhile, for the Spurs, it was a routine collapse that the fans had unfortunately grown used to. After surging ahead to a double-digit lead, San Antonio ran out of breath trying to maintain that momentum.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship bout at the White House on Sunday is in some ways a birthday present for President Trump, who will celebrate turning 80 by cheering on the fighters inside the specially constructed Claw on the South Lawn.
One V.I.P. guest at the fight will be celebrating, too: David Ellison, the technology heir and Paramount Skydance chief executive who on Friday received a gift of sorts from the Trump administration.
After months of meticulous courtship of the president and his senior aides, Paramount got word on Friday that the Justice Department would not challenge its $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, eliminating one of the last major obstacles for the deal to close.
Mr. Ellison also controls the exclusive broadcast rights to the U.F.C., one of Mr. Trump’s favorite sports, after he paid a whopping $7.7 billion last year for the privilege. Americans hoping to watch the event at 8 p.m. Sunday at the White House — which consists of seven marquee fights — will need a subscription to Paramount+, the Ellison-owned streaming platform.
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“Love & Hip Hop: Miami” star Michael Blackson settled up with his close friend and baby mama Nadia Beddini and agreed to pay her thousands per month in child support … TMZ has learned.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Michael will pony up $4,500 per month in support for their nearly 1-year-old son, Kweku, and pay Nadia $5K for her lawyer fees for the case.
This is a custody settlement … meaning Michael and Nadia agreed on all the terms, and the judge signed off on the deal.
The pair agreed to joint legal and physical custody, meaning the kid will spend time with each parent and they’ll share in the decision-making responsibility regarding all major issues involving the health, education, and welfare of their little one.
Interestingly, the docs say Michael can’t take Kweku outside the United States without written approval from Nadia, but Nadia can head out of the country as long as she gives him written notice and an itinerary. The pair have previously flown to Ghana to introduce Kweku to Michael’s family.
As we told you … Kweku was born within 2 months of Michael’s son with his ex-fiancée, Rada Darling.
Nadia told TMZ she and Michael had been friends for years before they started hooking up, and she said the pair planned on having a baby together. She also told us Rada was well aware of their relationship.
However, Rada told us a different story … saying she always knew there were other women in Michael’s life but didn’t know the extent of his relationship with Nadia until her pregnancy was revealed while filming “Love & Hip Hop.”
Still, she tells us she hopes her son with Michael, Michael Jr., and Kweku will grow up together … and with this joint custody agreement, it appears there’s a solid chance of that panning out!

The New York Knicks’ No. 1 fan, Timothée Chalamet, was sitting courtside during their Game 5 NBA Championship win against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, and his emotional reaction has fans cracking up.
“Way rather this than the Oscars, come on baby!” he yelled in one video. Others show him hugging everyone around him and yelling “world champs, baby!” Check out his excited reaction to the big win:
Timothée Chalamet Is a Lifelong Knicks Fan
The moment was extra special for the lifelong Knicks fan, who was born and raised in Manhattan, New York. He’s made a point to be at all of the championship games, sometimes beside his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. He even flew out to San Antonio to attend Game 5 in person, seemingly in the company of friends.
Despite rooting for the team since he was a kid, 2026 marks the first championship win they’ve had in his lifetime. The last time the Knicks clinched the NBA Cup was in 1973, making this their first title in a whopping 53 years.
Knicks Center Karl Anthony Towns, who also happens to be engaged to Jenner’s longtime pal Jordyn Woods, celebrated that fact during an emotional courtside hug caught on video after the big win. “You’ve seen it in your lifetime!” he shouted at Chalamet following the embrace.
The Marty Supreme actor even posed with Knicks shooting guard Mikal Bridges (#25), holding up the back page of the New York Post with a title that says “Champs! New York Knicks break 53-year drought, win NBA title.”
Fans Think Timothée Chalamet Was The Knicks’ Good Luck Charm
Many fans even joked that it was Chalamet’s presence that secured the Knicks’ win.
“Timothee Chalamet made a deal with the devil, sacrificed an Oscar for the New York Knicks to win an NBA title the same year. Nobody can make me believe otherwise,” said one fan, while another teased, “Ben Stiller, Spike [Lee], and Timothee should also get rings ngl.”
A third added, “Timothee really their lucky charm.”

Once frequent collaborators, Seth Rogen doesn’t see an onscreen reunion with James Franco in his future.
The 2x Golden Globe winner recently said he hasn’t spoken to Franco “in a long time” and has “no plans” to work with the actor, who has been mounting an onscreen comeback after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2018.
“I’m trying to think how much I want to personally share about this,” he prefaced to The New York Times. “I honestly think the nuance of it is too personal for me to get into right now. It is a very personal thing. There’s the public-facing side of it, which I’ve spoken about, and I have the same stance publicly that I’ve had, and I think the proof is in the pudding — I have not worked with him in years.”
Rogen continued, “But the personal side of it is just so nuanced, and it involves people that I don’t know if I should be dragging into this. I don’t know what I would benefit from getting deeply into it. Nothing has changed since the last time I talked about all this, and I haven’t worked with him in a really long time and I have no plans to.”
After making their onscreen debuts together in NBC’s Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), Rogen and Franco went on to star alongside each other in films like Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), The Interview (2014) and The Disaster Artist (2017).
Franco previously said his and Rogen’s friendship was seemingly “over” after they hadn’t spoken in a while. “No. I haven’t talked to Seth. I love Seth, we had 20 great years together, but I guess it’s over. And not for lack of trying. I’ve told him how much he’s meant to me,” he told Variety in 2024.
In 2018, multiple women accused Franco of inappropriate sexual behavior. More accusations would become public, including one that he eventually settled, where the actor was accused of intimidating students into gratuitous and exploitative sexual situations.