Ben Stiller has responded after sports analyst Pat McAfee called out him and other celebrities at the New York Knicks versus Indiana Pacers basketball game on Tuesday.
Stiller was in attendance at the fourth game of the Eastern Conference finals alongside other famous Knicks fans, including Timothée Chalamet and director Spike Lee.
At one point during the game at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the sports commentator was handed a microphone, where he showed his support for the Pacers and took a jab at the celebrities sitting courtside.
“Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here,” McAfee said as the crowd booed every time a celebrity’s name was announced. “Let’s send these sons of b****es back to New York!”
After the game, which the Knicks lost with a final score of 130-121, the Zoolander actor responded to a video on X of McAfee’s brief speech. “Yes. Weird. We were happy to be there and cheer our team, and other than that, Indy fans were awesome,” Stiller wrote.
Stiller also responded to another user who wrote that McAfee’s callout “pissed me off so much.”
“It’s ok,” the Night at the Museum actor replied. “He must be playing around – if it’s an actual point of view, it seems a little anachronistic or cliche? Like we are ‘big city celebs’ and we shouldn’t be there in the heartland?”
Stiller added: “Again, everyone we met was awesome and incredibly cool.”
They were “all affectionate boos, I promise you,” one Indiana fan attempted to assure Stiller, to which he replied: “I actually felt that.”
The actor also clarified that he wasn’t upset about his team’s loss as he wrote: “No bitterness at all Indy fans were amazing, good win for you guys.”
The New York-based team now needs to win the next three games in a row in order to proceed to the NBA Finals.
Stiller and Chalamet have been fixtures courtside during the Knicks’ playoff games. Earlier this month, Chalamet celebrated alongside Knicks fans when they beat the Boston Celtics to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
After the Knicks defeated the Celtics in Madison Square Garden 119-81, the Wonka actor was seen exiting the venue in a black SUV.
In videos widely circulating on social media, Chalamet is filmed leaning out of the car window while cheering wildly and embracing fans on the street.
“He so Lisan Al Gaib coded,” one fan commented on TikTok, referring to Chalamet’s prophet character from the Dune film franchise.
Chalamet was in attendance at Game 6 of the match with a host of other notable Knicks fans in the audience, including Lee and Stiller.
