Taylor Swift’s ‘Stevie Knicks’ T & More Looks From Knicks Game 4

Knicks fever has never been more widespread, and the courtside style of celebrity fans exemplified just how stricken New York City is.

Taylor Swift, Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Este and Alana Haim and Jerry Seinfeld were among the screaming and NBA Finals-loving fans that watched from the floor of Madison Square Garden, as the New York Knicks rebounded from a 29-point deficit and eked out a one-point win over the San Antonio Spurs with OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left on the clock Wednesday night.

While Game Four, which tilted the Knicks to a 3-1 advantage in the championship series, averaged 7.2 million viewers, thousands more were catching every play at watch parties across the five boroughs and beyond. Bars, restaurants, parks, hotels, diners and even a few coffee shops were overflowing with men and women cheering on the Knicks or Spurs, with the majority favoring orange and blue attire. Dozens of fans watched from the sidewalks in some Manhattan neighborhoods where their viewing spot of choice was at capacity.

With a pale blue manicure and ruby red lipstick, Swift blew a kiss to the Jumbotron before the tip-off to the Garden’s estimated 19,812 fans Wednesday night. Coyly giving fandom a twist toward her profession, the 14-time Grammy winner chose ripped black jeans and a royal blue T-shirt with “STEVIE KNICKS” imprinted in orange, a nod to the Fleetwood Mac singer and solo artist. Swift’s seatmate Mariska Hargitay of “Law & Order” knocked off the look and appeared to be knocked out with disbelief after the historic come-from-behind win, roaming the court shaking her head with her hands over her mouth.

Swift pre-gamed her Game Four style on Instagram with Alana and Este Haim, who also wore knee-torn jeans, high-heeled sandals and similar punster T-shirts – that were screen-printed with “Knickelback” and “Knicole Kidman” respectively.

Chalamet and Kylie Jenner doubled up their denim look with the “Dune” actor in a jean jacket, white T-shirt and jeans with orange accents and the Kylie Cosmetics founder twinning with a white tank and similar jeans.

Like Chalamet, Hailey Bieber opted for a Canadian tuxedo — a denim jacket and jeans, but her take included a blue T-shirt that offered some wordplay akin to Swift’s. “Knick’s Biggest Thrill” was the message below the basketball icon on the Rhode founder’s royal blue top. Bieber broke out the gems too wearing a 3-carat oval diamond and white gold gypset hoop earrings from Jessica McCormick.

Before Game Four got underway, sporting an oversized orange hoodie and khakis, Adam Sandler gamely stood to shoot selfies for a steady stream of fans. Diehard fan Spike Lee turned up in an orange short-sleeved shirt with one blue sleeve and “ORANGE AND BLUE” lettering and a coordinating knit hat. Chris Rock was all Knicks too, wearing a logo varsity jacket and baseball hat. Fellow comedian Jerry Seinfeld stepped up the collegiate look with a navy shirt, a rust suede jacket, jeans and gray sneakers. His former boss, the bespectacled Larry David, was looking a little “Ivy Style”-inspired too in a brick red baseball cap, loose-fitting blue blazer and blue shirt. Michael J.  Fox kept things classic too with a white T-shirt and navy jacket. Seinfeld’s wife Jessica opted for a white baseball cap, slouchy gray top, light tan pants and white sneakers. Ben Stiller was also more low-key in a black T-shirt and black pants.

With many people not waiting for the watch parties to start to show their favorite team’s colors, athletic wear — as in T-shirts, cropped tops, hoodies and hats — have increasingly become everyday wear in New York. While the NBA serves up all of the goods for its 30 teams and sells upward of $1 billion in licensed apparel, Knicks merchandise is also sold via Nike, Mitchell & Ness and Fanatics among other brands.

Thirteen years after the NBA first teamed up with the Coalition to Advance the Protection of Sports Logos and federal and local law enforcement officials to seize hundreds of pieces of counterfeit NBA merchandise, knockoffs continue to plague the league with an estimated few hundred million dollars’ worth of sales lost annually to counterfeiters. In February, the New York Knicks LLC and MSG Sports LLC filed a complaint asking a federal court to stop the sale of knockoff goods by vendors in front of Madison Square Garden. New Yorkers can find low-priced unlicensed Knicks T-shirts and other basics being sold on the sidewalks by knockoff specialists.

Whether dressing in authorized goods or not, fandom is increasingly immersed in pop culture and branding. Katie Thomas, founder of the Kearney Consumer Institute, chalked up the shift to how in uncertain and more digitally dependent times, consumers are seeking out in-person experiences. Whether it’s the World Cup, “Love Island” watch parties or last summer’s blockbuster “Wicked,” such cultural touchstones unite people, she said. While sports are one of the easiest communities to rally around, they also bring together many people who have been fans for years and years, she said.

“That is true with the Knicks and it’s been a long time since the Knicks won. Fandom can also be momentum-based, which is clear with the Knicks. The more excitement is drummed up, the harder it is to ignore, even for the casual fan,” Thomas said.

Team pride will be in full force for Saturday night’s Game Five in San Antonio, where the Knicks will be vying for their first championship since 1973. Regardless, this summer’s fandom is sure to ratchet up with the World Cup starting Saturday. And next month, “Swifties” will have another reason to celebrate when “The Life of a Showgirl” star weds the Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce. The power couple reportedly have rented Madison Square Garden for $3 million for what is said to be a three-day bash.