Former NFL star Pat McAfee attended Game 4 of the Indiana Pacers‘ Eastern Conference Finals series with the New York Knicks. Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, and Ben Stiller, who are Knicks fans, were also in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the game. During the game break, the Pacers handed McAfee the microphone to send a clear message to celebrity Knicks fans in the building.
“We got some bigwigs from the big city in the building! Spike Lee is here! Ben Stiller is here! Timothee Chalamet is here!”
The Indiana crowd loudly booed as each name was called. While Knicks fans are known to be hostile, McAfee showed the Knicks that even the Pacers fans can do their fair share of trash-talking.
“Let’s send these sons of b***hes back to New York with their ears ringing”, exclaimed McAfee at the end.
Pat McAfee just dropped a promo trolling Ben Stiller, Spike Lee and Timothée Chalamet for being Knicks fans pic.twitter.com/KVY3Mr6G1J
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) May 28, 2025
McAfee has been a vocal Pacers fan for a very long time. He is also close friends with the Pacers’ star player Tyrese Haliburton, who is a frequent guest on his show.
The last time Haliburton appeared on his show was before this series when Haliburton invited the Pacers fan who was assaulted by Knicks fans in New York to Game 4 of the series. That fan was also in the crowd as McAfee took a shot at the celebrity Knicks fans.
The Pacers ended up winning the game at home 130-121 after a grueling battle with the Knicks. Haliburton finished with a historic triple-double as the Pacers took a 3-1 lead in the series. He had 32 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds as he became the only player in NBA history to do so with zero turnovers in a playoff game.
How Pat McAfee Is Relevant To The NBA World
Not just a Pacers fan, McAfee is also a renowned figure in the sports media industry. He runs a sports talk show called “The Pat McAfee Show,” which has helped him build a following of 3.2 million people on X alone. Right before Game 4 of the Pacers-Knicks series, ESPN’s NBA Insider Shams Charania also appeared on his show.
"I'm told LeBron James is likely to opt in..
He's got a massive player option and that's the plan..
He still has about a month to figure that out"@ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/8mzUsMCU9r
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 27, 2025
They discussed several key pieces of information from the Celtics’ plans to trade their players to LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. Therefore, McAfee has found himself among the top insiders and sources of information from several sports teams. While McAfee will still stick to WWE and NFL media, we may see a rise in his presence in the NBA media as well.
Tyrese Haliburton Invites Pacers Fan To Attend Game 4 Following Assault In New York
Following the Knicks’ Game 6 win against Boston in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ fans took to the streets to celebrate their victory. They climbed up on cars, poles, and crowded several parts of New York. A Pacers fan, Hanz Perez found the courage to walk through the crowd while wearing a Haliburton jersey. The fan was assaulted with trash bags on the streets of New York.
WHAT A DAY!
NYFD Hans Perez, the #Pacers fan who was harassed by #Knicks fans in NYC…is in Indy!
✔️Spent the day with @PatMcAfeeShow and his crew and also interviewed by Pat on the show
✔️Dinner at @stelmo
✔️Guest of Tyrese Haliburton for tonight’s game pic.twitter.com/dkejQhUNTE
— Anthony Calhoun 📺 (@ACwishtv) May 28, 2025
Perez, a firefighter from New York, found himself invited on Pat McAfee’s show, where Tyrese Haliburton surprised him. Haliburton invited him to watch Game 4 in Indiana. And hence, he was also in the crowd today as the Pacers took a resounding lead in the series.
