If the Lakers have Matt Pokora Jack Nicholson, the Knicks, they have Spike Lee. Every day for the past thirty years, you can see the famous film director in the front rows of Madison Square Garden, always decked out in his clothes in the colors of his favorite franchise. But how did it become the mad love between them? Story of this story between Spike Lee and Knicks.
Spike Lee, real name Shelton Jackson Lee (the nickname “Spike” coming from his mother, who called him that in childhood), was born in Atlanta in 1957, a priori, no connection with the city of New York for the moment. But luckily for him, he won’t have to put up with the Hawks since he’ll soon be moving to the Big Apple after college.
He will later study there, more specifically at New York University, Columbia University and the Tisch School of the Arts. He lives in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. “Why doesn’t he support the Nets then” you ask? Quite simply because at the time, the Nets were in New Jersey, and the Knicks were the only team located in intramural New York, and therefore had the royal road to conquer the heart of the director. He also fell in love with the city’s other sports teams, including the New York Giants in NFL (American football), the New York Rangers in NHL (hockey) and the New York Yankees in MLB (baseball). . But it is the Knicks who are number one in his heart.
“Imagine if I got a dollar for every person who asks me (if I’m going to be a Nets fan), I could fund another movie. No no and no, I can’t! I am orange and blue baby!” –Spike Lee
As we said, Spike Lee has been sitting courtside at MSG for about thirty years, sometimes even being able to interact with the players on the floor.
His most famous trade was with Reggie Miller during the 1995 playoffs in the conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, it was the Pacers fullback who would have the last laugh that night, with Miller suddenly catching fire. Indeed, it is the day of the famous 8 points in 9 seconds of the Indiana legend. The Knicks were winning 105-99, eventually losing 107-105. That’s one of the stories the old timers like to tell. Some time later, the shooter will then make this gesture so characteristic of the “choke”, by putting both hands around his neck to mimic a strangulation after a match won by Indiana at Madison, following an anthology last quarter. Today, however, the two men are on good terms.
Despite this “incident”, Spike Lee has never backed down from the crowd, and is part of the Knicks DNA. He always has the best seats, and is part of the furniture in this franchise that he has supported through thick and thin, even when the franchise-player was Allonzo Trier or Landry Fields (whose jersey he frequently wore at the time). ).
Reggie Miller is far from the only one to have crossed paths with Mr. Lee. Kobe Bryant has already trolled Mr. Lee as well, ditto for Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. MJ by scoring 55 points at Madison Square Garden, and Pippen by going to flatten Patrick Ewing on a dunk, before stepping over him, thus creating a scuffle between players. That’s when Pip ‘whispered a few sweet words in the ear of the director. More recently, Anthony Davis and LeBron James also trolled Spike Lee after the final whistle.
It is also all this that makes the personality of Spike Lee. His unfailing loyalty makes him ever more devoted to supporting his team, even if it means sometimes being too extreme in his verbal outbursts, or motivating opposing players too much. This perfectly represents the personification of the Knicks fan a little stamped on the edges. Spike Lee has even been taken to task by some newspapers, especially after the choke of John Starks and his family at home against Reggie Miller’s Pacers. The next day, the New York press notably headlined “Thank you Spike” or even “Shut up” against the director, in response to the defeats probably caused in part by his attempts at trashtalking.
But his demeanor on the pitch seems to match his personality as a screenwriter and film producer/director. Indeed, many of Spike’s works deal with communities and minorities who may be victims of racism and discrimination, and point the finger at these social and societal problems, even if it means creating controversy. His vehemence around the Madison Square Garden floor is therefore in line with the fights he leads away from the Garden, in his various films.
But all this could well have degenerated and ended the day the director of He Got Game went through the entrance of MSG employees on March 2, 2020, an entrance that he has been using for more than 20 years already. The season isn’t stopped by COVID yet, but Spike Lee has already decided he won’t be coming to see the season-ending Knicks again after his treatment. Indeed, before being able to return to the lair of his heart team, the director was first asked to leave the premises, and we can see a video showing a muscular altercation with security. And if the hatchet has since been buried with James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, the press release still shows some bitterness. Here is also what Shelton Jackson Lee said afterwards.
“The security guard was waiting for me as if I had stolen something from Macy’s (Editor’s note: the big mall located in Manhattan). He wanted me to go out and then come back in again, but that was not possible because they had already scanned my ticket. I told them that I would not move. […] I spend about $300,000 a year to watch games. I’ll be back next season, but that’s it for this one.”
Director Spike Lee denied entry to MSG. Rumors are circulating that MSG CEO James Dolan didn’t want the famed director to enter. #SpikeLee #MSG pic.twitter.com/0gZVaHDXBP
— BroTalkLive (@brotalklive) March 3, 2020
“I won’t budge (3 times), are you going to treat me like Charles Oakley?”
Editor’s note: Charles Oakley was previously suspended from MSG for a period of time, for allegedly inappropriate behavior and remarks towards James Dolan.
New York Knicks Statement on Spike Lee pic.twitter.com/19JcvhFKO7
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) March 3, 2020
“The idea that Spike Lee might be a victim because he’s been repeatedly told not to use the employee entrance, but the special VIP one (which is used by all the other celebrities who come to the Garden), is laughable. It’s disappointing that Spike is creating this controversy, he’s always welcome to the Garden through VIP entry or general entry, but not through employee entry. That’s what he agreed with Jim when they shook hands.
Since then, the two clans have patched things up, but this incident is probably still in the minds of New Yorkers. Spike Lee finally returned more than a year later (the sanitary restrictions and gauges of the time having not helped) to support the Knicks, harangue his players and provoke the opponents. When we tell you that his passion is unwavering… It’s to the point of launching the preparation of a series on the Knicks of the 90s.
For the record, know that Spike Lee was 13 when he walked the spans of the Mecca of basketball for the first time in 1970 during the NBA Finals won 4-3 by the Knicks against the Lakers, with Walt Frazier at 36 points and Willis Reed who will play this final match on one leg despite a thigh tear to galvanize the crowd. Undoubtedly the greatest moment of basketball lived through the Knicks by a Spike still a kid. From there, nothing could shake the passion of the young Shelton J. Lee.
Spike Lee is what is called a die hard Knicks fan, not afraid to be winnowed by opposing players or to be vehement around the floor. The Knicks have many fans around the globe, but it’s certainly him who comes to mind first when discussing the New York franchise. It’s been 30 years and more to come.
Sources texte : The Knicks Wall, Clutch Points, FanSided
2023-05-05 16:29:23
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