Highlights
- Timothée Chalamet shouted “Way rather this than the Oscars!” after the Knicks’ historic Game 5 win.
- The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 for their first NBA title in 53 years.
- Chalamet celebrated on court with Karl-Anthony Towns alongside Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and more.
When the New York Knicks finally snapped their grueling 53-year championship drought on Saturday night (June 13, 2026), Hollywood star and die-hard Knicks superfan Timothée Chalamet took the hype to an entirely different level.
Sitting courtside at Frost Bank Center for Game 5, the Oscar-nominated actor watched his beloved team secure a gritty 94-90 comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs to wrap up the series 4-1.
And when the buzzer sounded, the Dune star made his priorities loud and clear.
“Way rather this than the Oscars, c’mon baby,” Chalamet declared postgame. He then punctuated the moment with a battle cry that every New Yorker felt in their bones: “Knicks are champions, baby!”
“WAY RATHER THIS THAN THE OSCARS!” 🔥
Timothée Chalamet hyped for the Knicks title 🏆 pic.twitter.com/DL94Aw6V9b
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 14, 2026The line went viral almost instantly, and honestly, how could it not? This is a man who has sat through Oscar campaigns, awards-season parties, and red-carpet gauntlets, and the thing that finally broke him wide open was a basketball team that last won a title in 1973.
The last time the Knicks clinched the NBA title was in 1973, making this their first championship in a whopping 53 years and the first in Chalamet’s lifetime. For a kid born and raised in Manhattan, this was not just a sports moment. It was a birthright finally collected.
Chalamet, a devoted Knicks fan who has regularly been spotted courtside throughout the team’s playoff run, was visibly overwhelmed by the occasion.
Chalamet had his phone out, recording the moment himself, visibly pumped as the Knicks’ title became real in San Antonio. He then rushed onto the court to soak up every second.
The actor celebrated on the court with star center Karl-Anthony Towns shortly after the final whistle blew. The image of Chalamet, one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood, completely losing his composure in the middle of a basketball court was the kind of unscripted, unfiltered joy that no awards speech could replicate.
The Dune star even visited the Knicks’ locker room to celebrate with the team on Saturday, according to Instagram videos shared by ESPN.
He was far from alone in that feeling. Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Tracy Morgan were just a few of the names courtside at Frost Bank Center watching history unfold before their eyes.
While recording the special moment on his phone, which he has done throughout these 2025-26 playoffs, Stiller ran onto the court in celebratory fashion to capture the footage. He was in a reflective mood after the win.
Several notable celebrities were also present for the championship-clinching contest, including Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun, as the Knicks’ title party reached a fever pitch.
They got TIMMY!! 🍾🍾@RealChalamet x @nyknicks pic.twitter.com/2CYVH26wHy
— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2026Chalamet did not treat this Knicks run like a casual celebrity cameo. He was courtside during the Finals, celebrated wildly after New York’s Game 4 comeback at Madison Square Garden, and then made the trip to San Antonio for the possible clincher.
During that Game 4 celebration at MSG, he took things to a new level entirely. The Academy Award nominee went topless after the game after stripping off his jacket and shirt, with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner looking on.
While Chalamet has attended a number of games alongside Kylie Jenner during the season, the reality television star was not present for the decisive Finals encounter in San Antonio. Still, the victory clearly transcended geography.
The celebrations extended beyond the arena, with Chalamet taking to Instagram Stories to share images of the victorious team lifting the championship trophy. He also posted a photograph of a newspaper front page commemorating the achievement.
For a man who has been in the Oscar conversation for years, the ranking was clear. Awards nights can wait. The Knicks are NBA champions for the first time in more than five decades, and Timothée Chalamet was there to scream it at the top of his lungs.
New York, indeed, has its moment.
