Ben Stiller Fires Back at Pat McAfee’s Bold Knicks Fan Remarks

Ben Stiller did not hold back when responding to Pat McAfee’s provocative comments regarding renowned New York Knicks enthusiasts spotted at a playoff battle against the Indiana Pacers. The 59-year-old actor took to X to address McAfee’s jumbotron shoutout, where he lambasted Stiller, Spike Lee, and Timothée Chalamet as “sons of bitches.”

“Yes. Weird,” Stiller retorted on Tuesday, May 27. “We were thrilled to support our team, and besides, Indy fans were incredible.” Standing firm amid criticism, Stiller continued to praise the opposition’s supporters in another X reply, stating, “No hard feelings at all, Indy fans were wonderful, great win for you guys.”

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The New York Knicks are teetering on the verge of NBA Playoffs elimination, and according to Boomer Esiason, the blame might lie with the celebrity entourage courtside. The former quarterback turned radio host unleashed on the famous faces — Chalamet, Lee, and Stiller included — who have been prominently visible throughout the Knicks’ Eastern Conference series against the Pacers.

“I think [the Knicks] are exhausted by all the celebrities at home,” Esiason remarked on air before Game 4. “They prefer to break free from that environment.” The Knicks have managed a mere 3-5 record at Madison Square Garden during the 2025 Playoffs but boast a 6-2 away game performance.

The glittering distractions followed them to Indiana for Game 4, which ended in a 130-121 loss for New York. ESPN’s Pat McAfee amped up the partisan Pacers arena pregame on Tuesday, singling out the celebrity trio and provoking a chorus of boos.

“We got some bigwigs from the big city in the house,” he declared in a pregame address on the jumbotron. “Let’s send these sons of bitches back to New York with their ears ringing. Turn this up.”

Julius Randle, a former Knick now with the Minnesota Timberwolves, reflected on the challenge of the New York sports scene in a Monday Yahoo Sports feature. “It ain’t fun, it ain’t fun,” he expressed. “You can’t really zero in on the game; you’re caught up in everything else. You’re living and dying with every shot, turnover, and loss. It’s not an enjoyable way to play.”

Knicks athletes understand that playing in the country’s largest sports market means embracing the celebrity scene, a familiar sight particularly for 68-year-old Lee, a constant at MSG since the 1990s. Lee was at the epicenter of drama as Knicks faced Pacers in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. As Pacers star Reggie Miller scorched New York with a 39-point showcase in Game 5, Lee heckled the soon-to-be Hall of Famer. As Indiana staged a 12-point comeback in the fourth quarter, Miller famously gestured a choke sign at Lee.

Despite past tensions, Lee insists there’s no ill will towards Miller, telling the New York Post on May 6, “That’s history, over two decades old. There’s no rivalry with Reggie now. It’s pure love.”

Game 5 is slated for Thursday night in New York, and the celebrity presence is all but guaranteed.