NEW YORK (AP) — Coach Mike Brown was wrapping up his Sunday press conference when someone from the rear of the media room spoke up.
It was Fat Joe requesting the microphone.
The hip-hop artist playfully teased the New York Knicks coach about his choice of footwear, then requested a signed pair of shoes should the team capture the title, as the franchise’s famous supporters joined the festivities during an NBA Finals practice session.
Ben Stiller was also present at Madison Square Garden, filming and having his first encounter with the coach.
“A great day for me today,” Brown stated at the beginning of his comments. “For the first time I got a chance to meet Ben Stiller. I don’t know if he’s in here or not. I actually gave him a handshake and a hug. I got my man Fat Joe sitting in the back. This is a great day for Mike Brown.”
Stiller was there, capturing footage from a spot along the side of the room.
Brown, who is in his inaugural season with New York, previously mentioned that Fat Joe was the celebrity he had developed the closest relationship with. His spouse spotted Stiller on the court when the Knicks secured the Eastern Conference title in Cleveland, though she was too hesitant to request a photo.
The Knicks’ star-studded fanbase, featuring personalities like filmmaker Spike Lee and performers Tracy Morgan and Timothée Chalamet, has been supporting the squad both at home games and away contests throughout the playoffs. Fat Joe described how the journey to the NBA Finals, the team’s first appearance since 1999, has united the city.
“I’ve seen Hasidic Jews breakdancing with Black kids outside the stadium. This is the greatest unification you’ve ever seen of this New York City in your life since 9/11,” he said. “If you want to know what we felt like in 9/11 after the tragedy, it’s what you’re seeing around New York City, is everybody together. This is insane.
“I’ve got a friend, he puts a screen in his backyard. He said the whole neighborhood, people he’s never talked to in his life are walking through his house, opening the refrigerator. This is like, unbelievable.”
