1) Spike Lee, Knicks

Game five of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals provided a rare moment where a spectator became an indelible part of an NBA thriller. As Reggie Miller was slicing and dicing the Knicks in that crucial game, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead a sterling Pacers comeback, he was also exchanging pleasantries with Lee. A mainstay on the floor at Knicks games, usually decked out in the team’s signature blue-and-orange, Lee has been a super fan of the team since long before he was famous. At age 13, the lifelong Brooklynite was present in Madison Square Garden in 1970 when Willis Reed took the floor for game seven on a torn thigh and New York clinched its first ever NBA title. Just as his directorial career was getting started in 1985 with the production of his feature debut She’s Gotta Have It, Lee purchased Knicks season tickets for the first time. It was certainly no coincidence that the long dormant franchise had just drafted Patrick Ewing, ushering in a new era of limitless possibilities. Lee has been a staple ever since, eventually graduating to his now standard floor seats, where the film legend was present to have a choke sign thrown at him by Miller on that fabled day. While Knicks games were more of a blue collar vibe back then, they’ve since become a haven for celebrity sightings, almost on par with the Lakers’ guest lists. But fans know who’s fair weather and who’s the diehards, a list that includes Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Katie Holmes, and Adam Sandler in addition to Lee.

2) Jay-Z, Nets

There’s always been a big brother, little brother relationship between the Nets and Knicks but the former got a glamorous boost in upgrading to their current digs in Brooklyn. At the heart of that move from New Jersey was rapper Shawn Carter, otherwise known as Jay-Z, an arguably bigger celebrity than anyone who has ever donned a Knicks cap at MSG. He was born and raised in Brooklyn and grew up a Knicks fan, but changed his allegiance in 2003. That’s when Jay-Z was approached by then franchise principal owner Bruce Ratner and offered a small piece of ownership in the team. In exchange for that bit of capital (which turned out to be worth less than $1 million), Jay-Z became a franchise ambassador and unofficial mascot. He would regularly attend games, often with wife Beyonce, bringing the Nets some prestige and also some tabloid presence. Jay-Z was also instrumental in shepherding the franchise across the river to his hometown. When the Barclays Center opened in 2012 to act as the Nets’ home, the arena’s first event was a concert by the superstar rapper. Soon after that move, Jay-Z sold his piece of the Nets to avoid conflict of interest with his new sports management agency, Roc Nation Sports. But he’s remained a steady presence at Nets games, even as he’s also shown his allegiance to the Knicks with occasional court side appearances at Madison Square Garden.

3) Justin Timberlake, Grizzlies

Around the same time that Jay-Z was winding down his stake in the Nets, a different music superstar was just getting started in Memphis. After years of cheering on the Grizzlies from the crowd, Timberlake put his money where his mouth is in 2012, becoming a minority owner of the Grizzlies, alongside his wife, actor Jessica Beal. Their (small) portion of the team was obtained as part of Robert Pera’s purchase of the club from Michael Heisley. But Timberlake, who was raised in Memphis before moving to Hollywood as a teenager, has been a vocal fan of the team ever since it arrived in town from Vancouver in 2001. Not only was the pop singer a regular presence court side before he became an owner, he would also sometimes utilize his star power to assist in free agent recruitments. Beyond his fandom, Timberlake has also played on an NBA court, participating in the 2003 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Atlanta.

4) Travis Scott, Rockets

When the Rockets moved from San Diego to Houston in 1971, they took up partial temporary residence in the famous Astrodome, then the home of the NFL’s Oilers and MLB’s Astros. Right across the street was AstroWorld, a sizable amusement park that opened in 1968 as part of an attempted rebranding of the entire area as Astrodomain. A half century later, superstar rapper Scott picked that Astrodomain location (now known as NRG Park) for his annual Astroworld music festival. The titular theme park was long gone by then (its 2005 closure served as the inspiration for the festival and for his 2018 hit album of the same name) and the Rockets have long ago moved into a permanent spot elsewhere in Houston, but the Scott-Rockets connection is an indelible piece of Houstonian culture. It started in the rapper’s childhood, when he was a ball boy for the Rockets, in a stint that supposedly put him front-and-center for Tracy McGrady’s incredible 13 points in 33 seconds performance in 2004. As his music career expanded, so did his connection with the franchise, which included appearances not just at games but sometimes at practices, a collaboration design on an official Rockets alternate jersey, and even a Travis Scott bobblehead night in 2020. There was even a “Travis Scott Day” scheduled for a 2021 game against the Pistons, but it was cancelled in the wake of a deadly incident at that year’s Astroworld Festival. That tragedy irreparably damaged Scott’s celebrity status and his official connections to the Rockets but he’s remained a loyal fan, with rare public appearances typically being to attend the team’s games, or show up at a party hosted by former Rockets star James Harden.

5) Mark Wahlberg, Celtics

As a teenager living in the Dorchester area of Boston, Wahlberg had two obsessions: The Larry Bird Celtics dynasty and committing violent hate crimes. He luckily set aside the latter pursuit in adulthood, at least as far as we know, but Celtics fandom has become a lifelong passion for Wahlberg. So much so that a prior Beverly Hills mansion of his included a basketball court fully adorned with the Celtics logo and color scheme. Though he spends most of his time on the West Coast these days, Wahlberg still manages to attend multiple Celtics games each year, especially when they make deep playoff runs. He’s also been involved in officially team activities, most notably joining video conferences with the roster during the COVID-19 pandemic to give inspirational speeches. Wahlberg may have a new basketball team to root for soon, as older brother Donnie is part of a group of investors pitching to charter a WNBA franchise in Boston. In addition to his fandom, Wahlberg’s other main connection to basketball is in one of his first film roles, a supporting role as a friend and high school teammate of Leonardo Di Caprio’s character in The Basketball Diaries.

6) Meek Mill, 76ers

When Mill was released from prison in 2018 after serving nearly six months for a parole violation, a helicopter was waiting outside courtesy of 76ers owner Michael Rubin, who shepherded the rapper to game five of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Heat. It was a special moment, indicative of the deep roots between the city’s basketball franchise and native son. Born Robert Williams, Mill grew up in North Philadelphia and took to basketball as a refuge after his father was murdered. A lifelong Sixers die hard, he was even a court side regular (often with then girlfriend Nicki Minaj) during the ’15-’16, a disastrous low point as the team finished with a 10-72 record. Mill met Rubin at the 2015 All-Star Weekend and despite their vastly different backgrounds, the pair hit it off. Rubin became one of Mill’s biggest advocates during his unjust prison sentence, and would visit him often, sometimes even bringing along Sixers stars like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Mill’s release coinciding with the Sixers picking up the franchise’s first playoff series win in six years was a fairy tale ending. The multi-platinum rapper has remained a steady presence at 76ers games, while also teaming up with Rubin to chair the Reform Alliance, a non-profit organization that has successfully lobbied for criminal justice reform measures. While Mill is currently the most entrenched celebrity 76ers fan, he’s part of a long of famous devotees, which includes Will Smith, Bradley Cooper, Kevin Hart, and Stevie Wonder, who reportedly granted Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins his nickname.

“All the key Lakers players and coaches cozied up to Jack over the years, and opposing stars like Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon would often pay homage to the film legend with a handshake and quick chat before games, or sometimes even during.”

7) Jimmy Buffet, Heat

On opening night of the ’23-’24 season, the Heat set aside time to honor Buffet, who had recently passed away from cancer at age 76. The ceremony included his daughter being seated court side next to an empty seat that held one of Buffet’s guitars. Why all the fanfare at a basketball game for a beloved but hardly legendary pop singer? Because Buffet, a longtime Palm Beach resident, wasn’t just a Heat fan, he was arguably one of the most diehard, loyal followers in franchise history. So much so that he once belied his reputation as an “island time” layabout by becoming one of the few fans in NBA history to get ejected from a game by an official. It happened during an especially tense 2001 battle against the arch rival Knicks, during which Buffet was supposedly yelling obscenities at referee Joe Forte. This led to a game stoppage, with Forte holding up the final two minutes of play until Buffet was forcibly removed from the arena by security. Buffet’s long time friend, then Heat coach Pat Riley, was almost subsequently ejected as well after coming to the singer’s defense (Forte reportedly had no idea who Buffet was). After the incident, numerous Buffet fans (affectionately known as “Parrot Heads”) showed up to concerts either dressed as basketball referees, or holding up referee effigies in the crowd, while numerous Heat fans came to games with Parrot Head masks and “Free Jimmy” signs. In addition to his regular appearances in the stands, Buffet also sang the national anthem for the Heat on multiple occasions, and could often be spotted on the court before and after games mingling with players, coaches, and staff.

8) Eminem, Pistons

When the Pistons played their first home game in downtown Detroit in 40 years, at the newly opened Little Caesars Arena in 2017, a surprise guest was in attendance to hype up the crowd. As his signature song “Lose Yourself” played over the loudspeakers, Eminem was introduced court side right before tip-off, and handed a mic to juice up the already frenzied crowd. Later during the game, fellow native son Kid Rock was shown in attendance on the jumbotron and elicited boos in reaction, presumably due to his connections to then president Donald Trump. Say what you will about his music, his personality, or his politics, but it was another sign that Eminem had become the ultimate ambassador for the Pistons and the city of Detroit. A fan of all the Detroit sports teams since moving to the city at age 12, the rapper born as Marshall Mathers had an unofficial relationship with the Pistons until 2015, when he starred in a promotional commercial for the team’s upcoming season. He later collaborated with the franchise on a limited edition, alternate “remix” jersey that went on sale in 2022. Though Eminem’s presence as a team ambassador has only been apparent in the last few years, there’s no doubting his previous devotion as a fan. In fact, there’s even video evidence of “Slim Shady” cheering on his Pistons during the 2005 NBA Finals.

9) Common, Bulls

While filming the 2010 basketball film Just Wright, rapper Common apparently was lobbying his co-star and impending free agent Dwyane Wade to sign with the Bulls in the upcoming offseason. Because while Common’s character was a member of the New Jersey Nets in the movie, the rapper himself is a diehard Bulls fan. Born Lonnie Lynn in the Hyde Park area of Chicago in 1972, Common inherited his love of basketball love from his father, also named Lonnie, who played professionally for many years, including short stints with the Pittsburgh Pipers and Denver Rockets of the ABA. The elder Lynn eventually got his teenaged son a ball boy position with the Bulls, a job that Common notably performed during Michael Jordan’s rookie season. The actor-cum-rapper has been a devoted fan ever since, regularly making court side appearances at games, including recently with new girlfriend Jennifer Hudson in tow. With some decent point guard skills that he displayed in filming Just Wright, Common is also one of the all-time greats in NBA All-Star Celebrity Game history. He’s made eight appearances in the exhibition series and earned MVP honors in the 2020 edition in his native Chicago. One more fun fact: Common’s godfather is Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Spencer Haywood, who became lifelong friends with the elder Lynn when they were Rockets teammates.

10) Billy Crystal, Clippers

Making highly publicized appearances at Lakers games is a celebrity right of passage, and the actual basketball fandom of those attendees is usually questionable, at best. But there’s no doubting Crystal’s allegiance to the other L.A. basketball team. His love for the Clippers actually dates back to the franchise’s time in San Diego, their home base for six seasons before migrating up north to Los Angeles in 1984. The comedy legend flirted with Lakers fandom for a while but chose the Clippers long term, owing to their underdog status. A season ticket holder ever since their Los Angeles debut in ’84-’85, Crystal has stuck with the team through thick and thin, mostly thin. Most NBA fans were probably not even aware of his Clippers devotion until the team became a consistent contender and national TV draw in the ’10s. Suddenly Crystal was regularly attending high profile games and receiving on-camera cameos, leading to unwarranted assumptions that he was a bandwagon fan. But Crystal’s Clippers allegiance was certified by no less authority than the Naismith Hall of Fame, which inducted him into its SuperFan gallery in 2024, alongside Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson.

11) Drake, Raptors

Life was good for Aubrey Drake Graham in the summer of 2019. His latest album Scorpion was a platinum seller and earned the rapper a Grammy. His record label OVO was thriving and had just purchased naming rights to the Raptors’ practice facility. And as for those Raptors, they were reigning champions of the NBA. Drake was front and center for their fairy tale playoff run, even altering his own tour dates to optimize his attendance at games. Drake didn’t just attend the NBA Finals against the Warriors, he captured consistent headlines for his outlandish acts, including wearing a vintage Dell Curry Raptors jersey to troll Steph, getting into a shouting match with Draymond Green, and giving coach Nick Nurse a shoulder rub during a game. All of this was under the auspices of Drake’s status as an official “global ambassador” for the Raptors franchise, an agreement that started in 2013 and included perks such as designing branding for the team (including alternate jerseys), hosting an annual “Drake Night” at Scotiabank Arena, and receiving his own championship ring in 2019. Here in 2025, things are not so great for Drake, to put it lightly. A well publicized feud with rap adversary Kendrick Lamar has annihilated his reputation. He’s still listed as a Raptors global ambassador but his attendance at games has become sparse and there was no “Drake Night” on the schedule in ’24-’25. As for the Raptors, things have reached a nadir as well. ’24-’25 will be their second straight losing season, their third straight season without a playoff appearance, and their fifth straight season without a playoff series win.

12) Jack Nicholson, Lakers

When Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 and aimed to implement a glamorous, Hollywood spectacle at home games, he knew celebrity fans would be a key element. Luckily, there was already an ideal one built into the package. Nicholson first procured court side Lakers season tickets in 1970, right as his acting career was taking off thanks to roles in Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces. He remained a recognizable fixture of Lakers games for decades, usually clad in an impeccable fit, including his signature sunglasses. Over the years, Nicholson would sometimes show up with fellow Hollywood royalty like Dennis Hopper or Sharon Stone, but he was usually seated right next to his good friend, record producer Lou Adler, who also became a de facto Lakers mascot. All the key Lakers players and coaches cozied up to Jack over the years, and opposing stars like Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon would often pay homage to the film legend with a handshake and quick chat before games, or sometimes even during. When Nicholson retreated from public life during the COVID-19 pandemic and stopped attending games, there was speculation on who could replace him as the signature Lakers celebrity fan. Candidates abound, with frequent attendees including Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Ice Cube, and Leonardo DiCaprio, plus Dyan Cannon, who’s been a season ticket holder for almost as long as Nicholson. But there’s only one Jack, as evidenced by the ballyhoo around his return to court side during the Lakers’ 2023 playoff run. If ever an NBA team was to honor one of its famous fans with a plaque, banner, or other dedication, it will be the Lakers with Nicholson. Legend recognizes legend.

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