In Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks made history with the greatest comeback ever seen in the league’s title round. While the Knicks made headlines for their record-breaking gameplay, one famous fan made headlines for her latest fashion statement: Taylor Swift, whose courtside style is blowing up on social media.
Swift was a surprise attendee at Madison Square Garden, alongside friends and frequent collaborators Este and Alana Haim. The three wore custom matching shirts, each sporting a Knicks-based pun: The Haim sisters wore tees printed with “Knickelback” (Alana) and “Knickole Kidman” (Este), while Swift paid homage to another legendary singer-songwriter with a shirt reading “Stevie Knicks.”
Swiftly setting a trend
Swift’s attendance at the game immediately went viral (as does seemingly everything the pop culture icon does), with Swifties oohing and aahing at what’s sure to be a new trend in the fandom. “A lot of Swifties who will be going to the next Taylor Swift Tour are going to recreate these shirts!” one fan predicted.
But for less crafty fans, another user theorized that Swift just created a new online market. “What was that sound?” they asked. “I think it was a million Etsy shops opening at once.”
Indeed, a search for “Stevie Knicks” on Etsy already returns dozens of results for recreations of Swift’s T-shirt—many of which use a picture of Swift at last night’s game as their feature image.
Swift’s shirt even caught on within the game itself: Seated next to the megastar was Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay, who changed from a black top into a “Stevie Knicks” tee during the game. Where did the extra shirt come from? Did Swift bring an extra in her bag just in case, as some folks theorized online?
Regardless of its origin story, Swift’s “Stevie Knicks” shirt is now a part of Knicks’ fan fashion history.
A massive comeback (in more ways than one)
Game 4 was defined by the Knicks’ incredible comeback. But even as the team trailed behind the San Antonio Spurs in the game’s first half, Swift stayed positive. At halftime, when the Knicks were down 27 points, the “Shake It Off” singer yelled to a Vogue reporter, “We are going to get the energy up. It’s on us!”
Swift made good on that promise, maintaining enthusiasm through the Knicks’ remarkable second half, all the way to the team’s victory by a single point.
It was the total opposite of Monday night’s Game 3—the only game of the Finals that the Knicks have lost so far—which saw the controversial attendance of President Donald Trump. Trump’s presence was met with boos at Madison Square Garden, while Swift’s garnered cheers throughout the arena.
Did swapping a poorly received celebrity with a beloved one make a difference to the game? Trump’s critics in Congress chimed in to that effect, including New York City’s own Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
“Thank you to the people who blessed MSG today to get the stank vibes out,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez wrote on social media after the Knicks’ win. “Your service is appreciated.”
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) responded to Ocasio-Cortez’s post, dubbing the comeback “the Taylor Swift effect.”
