Knicks Owners Address Backlash to Championship Ring Phishing Email
Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay & More Attend Knicks Season Opener
The Knicks organization is on defense after a corporate airball.
Months after the New York team's NBA title win against the San Antonio Spurs June 13, the team's owner MSG Sports confirmed employees who support the team at Madison Square Garden received a phishing test that falsely offered staff a fitting for a championship ring.
"The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers," an MSG Sports spokesman told E! News Oct. 23. "MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack."
Still, the company—which also operates the Garden—acknowledged that implementing the security exercise was a misstep.
As the statement said, "Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake."
But as the Knicks aim to bounce back with their corporate teammates, they're also on the rebound from a foul with assistant coaching staff. According to The Athletic, key leadership who helped players like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns clinch game five were given empty boxes with no commemorative jewelry inside at an Oct. 20 ceremony.
In turn, the organization has publicly released its nearly $4 million plan for distributing the rest of the rings, while all of the athletes from the 2025-2026 team were gifted their bling during the celebration.
"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family," the press release from MSG continued, "worth more than $3.7 million."
Photo by Wu Xiaoling/Xinhua via Getty Images
The statement noted that the priceless trinket was "in recognition of their contributions and celebrating this achievement."
Despite the major league drama, relive the Knicks' slam-dunk season with all of their celebrity superfans.
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Timothée Chalamet
When it comes to Timothée Chalamet's fandoms, his love of the New York Knicks reigns supreme.
"My grandma was a huge Knicks fan, so that's what turned me onto them," the Marty Supreme star told 7PM in Brooklyn in 2025. "If you live in New York, you are a Knicks fan."
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Kylie Jenner
And if you've been keeping up, then you know Kylie Jenner has been joining Chalamet, whom she's dated since 2023, courtside to cheer on the Knicks.
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Ben Stiller
You could never sever Ben Stiller's tie to the Knicks. In fact, the Severance director said that if he could choose between winning an Oscar or having the team take the championship title, he'd pick the latter.
"I really think, at the end of the day, if I knew that I had the choice, I would give it to the Knicks," he said on New Heights in 2025, "because I knew at least I had the choice in this weird, non-real situation."
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Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a longtime Knicks superfan and believes the 2025-2026 roster has what it takes to secure the trophy.
"I don’t care about San Antonio. OKC,” the filmmaker told the New York Post in May 2026. “We’re going to win.”
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Tracy Morgan
Nothing could rock Tracy Morgan's love for the Knicks. As the 30 Rock alum put it on The Rich Eisen Show in 2021, "I'm the biggest Knicks fan there is besides Spike."
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Fat Joe
What's Luv? The way Fat Joe feels about the Knicks.
In fact, hours before the Knicks confirmed their appearance in the finals, the rapper reflected on the decades the team struggled, noting to ESPN, "It’s time. We paid our dues."
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Pete Davidson
Live from New York...it's Pete Davidson. The Saturday Night Live alum has often been seen sitting courtside.
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Chris Rock
Chris Rock's loyalty to the Knicks is no laughing matter as the comedian has attended many games over the years.
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Larry David
Larry David isn't going to curb his enthusiasm for the Knicks.
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JB Smoove
And neither is his costar JB Smoove.
"How it started vs How it ended," the actor wrote on Instagram in 2024. "It’ll always be Knicks for life."
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Jordyn Woods
Jordyn Woods' love for the Knicks extends on and off the court. The Woods by Jordyn founder is engaged to the team's center Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Cardi B
While Cardi B has a song called "Bodak Yellow," she's all about that orange and blue. In fact, the rapper and former Patriots player Stefon Diggs officially debuted their romance at a 2025 game between the Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
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Anne Hathaway
Is Anne Hathaway wearing the Chanel boots Knicks colors? Yeah, she is. The Devil Wears Prada star showed where her loyalties lie by donning an orange and blue pocket square to The Tonight Show in April 2026.
"I’m very chill," she told host Jimmy Fallon about her fandom. "I’m very loving and calm. But I’m also the type of fan that I considered wearing an OG jersey out here today."
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Jimmy Fallon
Speaking of which, Fallon is also a big fan of the Knicks, with him even bringing his eldest daughter Franny along for the ride during the 2026 NBA playoffs.
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Michael J. Fox
You don't have to travel back to the future to see how much Michael J. Fox loves the Knicks. The actor has gone to many games with his wife Tracy Pollan.
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Jon Stewart
Throughout the Knicks' ups and downs, Jon Stewart has continued to support the team, with The Daily Show host calling himself a "ride or die" fan.
Instagram / Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers
A Knicks win is music to Maggie Rogers' ears as the singer has documented her love for the organization.
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