Knicks Superfan Spike Lee Lands Hall of Fame Invite

Spike Lee's love of the New York Knicks has earned him a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Spike Lee supporting the USA in the first quarter against South Sudan during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images
Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Spike Lee supporting the USA in the first quarter against South Sudan during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks' latest inductee into the Naismth Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame hasn't played a minute but has probably taken in more minutes on the Madison Square Garden sidelines than anyone.

Celebrity Knicks superfan Spike Lee is on his way to Springfield, as the Hall of Fame revealed that he and three others will be inducted into the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery on Oct. 13. He'll be joined by actors Billy Crystal and Jack Nicholson (supporters of the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers respectively) as well as Philadelphia-based real estate mogul Alan Horwitz.

Lee is set to to join the Hall of Fame alongside Knicks legend Dick Barnett, who is part of a class headlined by modern legends Chauncey Billups and Vince Carter. The 13-member class, as well as Lee and his fellow superfans, will be recognized on the weekend of Oct. 12-13.

"I got an unexpected phone call out of nowhere," Lee said of the honor, per veteran NBA writer Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson. "I sincerely thank the Basketball Hall of Fame for this totally unexpected blessing for my love of basketball and my crazy love for the NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS!”

Lee, 67, is one of the most recognizable celebrity mainstays in the NBA as he has been stationed in Madison Square Garden's celebrity seating for decades.

The lauded film director is known for his jubilant celebrations amidst Knicks victories as well as antagonizing opposing players. From a basketball perspective, Lee is perhaps best-known for his long-standing feud with Knicks nemesis Reggie Miller, which partly served as the basis for the ESPN Films documentary "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks," part of its "30 for 30" film series.

With the Knicks in the final stages of offseason prep, Lee has recently taken his talents to Brooklyn, where he has supported the New York Liberty's ongoing WNBA playoff run mere blocks from where he shot some of his films like "Do the Right Thing."

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Geoff Magliocchetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI

Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks