It seems New York Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek is singing a different tune about Taylor Swift’s fandom.
“He apologizes … the kid is OK,” shooting guard Jordan Clarkson wrote via Instagram Stories on Saturday, November 7, alongside footage of Kolek, 25, singing Swift’s “Blank Space” in the locker room after the Knicks bested the Cleveland Cavaliers. “He’s a Swiftie.”
Kolek made waves on a Thursday, November 5, livestream when he claimed Swift, 36, was among the team’s “fakest” celebrity fans.
“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 said, before singling out the Grammy winner by name. “Maybe Taylor Swift. I don’t know if I’ve seen her at any other games.”
A spokesperson for the Knicks later clarified Swift’s status as a fan in a statement.
“Taylor Swift has been a Knicks fan for many years, has a long history with Madison Square Garden,” the rep told Us in a statement of Swift, who even hosted her wedding to Travis Kelce at the venue this summer. “We are incredibly appreciative of her support of the organization.”
Swift, who has not publicly addressed Kolek’s now-controversial comments, notably attended two Knicks playoff games last season. Swift and Kelce, 37, made a joint appearance at the Knicks vs. Cavaliers — his hometown team — game in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“I’ve been a Cleveland sports fan for my entire life,” Kelce noted on his “New Heights” podcast afterward. “Getting Tay back to Cleveland and showing her my roots is always something I love doing. I showed her The Heights … not this time [but] previously before. We came in this time strictly just for the game, but getting back to Cleveland is always something I love doing.”
Weeks later, Swift was joined by the Haim sisters and Mariska Hargitay at Game 4 of the Knicks’ NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
“I got home and was like, ‘You gotta stop screaming, you’re screaming too much, you’re screaming instead of talking, you’re too excited,’” Swift recalled in her Songwriters Hall of Fame induction speech the next day, noting she yelled for “100 percent” of the matchup. “Then I got to witness the amazing performances I saw tonight, and I just kept screaming.”
She added at the time, “I never stopped screaming and this is what you get. I make no apologies for that. I’ve had a blast.”
Swift admittedly had no knowledge of sports until she started dating the Kansas City Chiefs tight end in 2023, and now, she’s a knowledgeable fan.
