The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors were fighting for their playoff lives Tuesday night, but celebrity sports fans didn’t seem to care.
The Sacramento Bee reports that “the celebrity watch list was a short one” for the contest. They cite the biggest name in attendance at the NBA play-in tournament game as California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The lack of stars at the Kings-Warriors game, despite just being a short flight from Hollywood for the rich and famous, got us thinking.
Who are the biggest celebrity sports fans? Many of them can be found courtside for NBA games. Let’s take a look.
Spike Lee
@pacers had to be there for when Reggie Miller hit Spike Lee with the choke sign 😂 #pacers #nba #history #nba #basketball ♬ original sound – Pacers
Known as one of the biggest celebrity fans on the list, Spike Lee is a dedicated diehard of the New York Knicks. He is often seen courtside at their games.
Lee has reportedly spent over $10 million on Knicks tickets over the past 30 seasons and has zero NBA championships to show for it.
His most famous moment as a Knicks fan? Running his mouth to the Indiana Pacers’ Reggie Miller when the Knicks entered the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead, then earning a choke sign when the Knicks lost as Miller hit an NBA record five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the fourth quarter all while throwing shade at Spike Lee, after every made field goal (and free throw),” writes Fadeaway World.
Lee was also courtside for Miller’s famous ‘8 points in 9 seconds’ playoff game.
Jerry Seinfeld
A lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Seinfeld is not only a fan of the team itself but also of the sport of baseball in general.
He told ESPN in a Q&A years ago that he thinks about baseball “all day” and that he’s fascinated by almost anything related to the sport and his favorite team.
I was 11 or 12 years old. We had a huge orange La-Z-Boy recliner downstairs in my house on Long Island, and I just started watching the Mets. I fell in love with them instantly. I never liked the American League. The Yankees weren’t my kind of team. I loved the Mets, the players they had and the way they played. I still love them.
Jerry Seinfeld
Mark Wahlberg
Known for his support of Boston sports, Wahlberg is a dedicated fan of teams from his hometown, particularly as a die-hard fan of the New England Patriots.
His fandom is not limited to football; he also has a notable interest in baseball and has been spotted supporting the Boston Red Sox.
Wahlberg famously left Super Bowl LI early, however, when his son was making a scene. As such, he never got to see his Patriots erase a 28-3 deficit and win in dramatic fashion.
Drake
A massive fan of the Toronto Raptors, Drake is not just a fan but also a part of the team in a non-ownership role. The Canadian rapper has been known for wearing a Dell Curry (Steph’s Pop) jersey to taunt the Warriors in the NBA finals.
But he’s also known for the ‘Drake curse.’
A notorious frontrunner, Drake has an extensive history of supporting particular teams or athletes only for them to lose, often against the odds.
Still, the Raptors shook off the curse when they won the NBA championship in 2019.
Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson had some advice for 19-year-old Kobe Bryant, before his first NBA All-Star Game (1998). pic.twitter.com/FAFEJ5tFmd
— Apurv Anand (@apurv_anand) April 14, 2024
This list wouldn’t be complete without the original superfan, Jack Nicholson. Nicholson has been a prominent figure at Los Angeles Lakers games since the Showtime Era in the 1980s.
His passion for the Lakers is legendary. His presence and enthusiasm add a unique dimension to the team’s fan base.
Nicholson made a rare public appearance last year to cheer his beloved Lakers to a Game 6 first-round playoff win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The longtime courtside fixture and The Shining star flashed a thumbs up and smiles during the crowd-pleasing 125-85 Lakers rout.
Kings Move On
Perhaps the Sacramento Kings will get some more celebrity sports fans to show up to their next play-in tournament game.
They take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. Giving them a chance to return to the playoffs as the 8-seed in the Western Conference.
They snapped an NBA-record 16-year playoff drought last season. Will they make it back?
