Ben Stiller Slams Pat McAfee’s ‘Weird’ NBA Playoff Rant Targeting Knicks Fans, Timothée Chalamet

Pat McAfee’s On-Air Jab Ignites NBA Playoff Tension

Game 4 of the Pacers-Knicks showdown was already loaded with playoff stress—a critical moment in the Eastern Conference Finals. But ESPN analyst and former NFL star Pat McAfee decided to take things up a notch, grabbing the mic during a timeout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and zeroing in on some very famous faces courtside. Knicks supporters Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, and Spike Lee—none of them strangers to the glare of the spotlight—were the targets of McAfee’s hype attempt. He urged the home crowd in Indianapolis, “Let’s send these sons of b------ back to New York with their ears ringing. Let’s turn this s--- up!”

His comments, painted as playful but with a clear charged edge, had the Pacers crowd booing the traveling Knicks faithful. The moment felt ripped out of the classic playbook of big-game taunts and city rivalries. While trash talk is nothing new in sports, McAfee’s comments definitely crossed into the personal, calling out individuals in front of a national audience and a packed house.

Fans and Celebrities Push Back—‘Weird’ and ‘Embarrassing’

Stiller didn’t let the moment slide. Not long after, he took to social media to call McAfee’s shoutout “weird,” pushing back against what he saw as an outdated “big city versus heartland” storyline. The Emmy-winning actor emphasized that the boos felt more affectionate than hostile and gave props to Indiana fans for their lively spirit—making clear he didn’t hold a grudge against McAfee or the Pacers.

It wasn’t only Stiller who bristled. Indiana icon John Mellencamp, a music legend and loyal Hoosier, was also at the game and said he felt “embarrassed” by the way McAfee singled out the New Yorkers. Mellencamp’s reaction points to a broader discomfort with turning visiting fans into the punchline at a moment intended to unite a home crowd. At a time when the Pacers already led the series and the stadium energy was riding high, the added personal barbs struck some as unnecessary and a bit forced.

As the series sits with the Knicks on the brink, the clash between celebrities and local fans is almost as intense as the one unfolding on the court. Big names like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have driven much of the narrative for New York this postseason, but now celebrity drama is making nearly as many headlines as the actual basketball. The Pacers, fueled by their home crowd and a 3-1 series advantage, need just one more win to lock in an NBA Finals spot, while the Knicks face a tough climb—three straight victories or the end of their season.

Moments like this remind everyone just how much passion—and sometimes awkward tension—celebrities can add to playoff basketball. The drama isn’t just about what happens on the court, but everything swirling around it, too.