Boomer Esiason blames the ‘damn celebrities' for Knicks' playoffs struggles at MSG
The Knicks have struggled at home throughout the playoffs. Who's to blame?
Is it Tom Thibodeau? The players?
Well, WFAN host Boomer Esiason has chosen his scapegoat for the team's 3-5 mark and MSG this postseason.
'I think [the Knicks] are sick and tired of all the damn celebrities at home,' Esiason said on the air on Tuesday.
'They'd rather get away from all that.'
Whether it's the celebrities or just the sheer size and passion of the New York sports market, playing for a Big Apple team has another level of pressure and distraction.
On Monday, former Knick and current Timberwolves star Julius Randle spoke on the noise that comes with playing for the Knicks.
5 Boomer Esiason believes the overwhelming number of celebrities at Knicks home games could be hurting the team.
WFAN/Boomer and Gio Show
'It ain't fun. You can't really focus on the game, you're focused on everything else other than the game itself,' Randle told Yahoo Sports.
'You're living and dying with every single shot, every single turnover, every single loss.'
Spike Lee, Suni Lee, Timothee Chalamet, the Kardashians, Ben Stiller — you name them — MSG's 'celebrity row' is always overflowing with huge names.
5 Timothee Chalamet (L) and Ben Stiller (R) have had their Knicks fandom on full display throughout the playoffs.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
5 Olympic gold medalist gymnast Suni Lee at Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
AP
And when they're courtside and being consistently shown on game broadcasts and the in-arena Jumbotron, they're hard to ignore.
The Knicks are in the midst of their best playoff run in quite some time.
This is the team's first Eastern Conference finals trip since the 1999-2000 season, when the team fell to the Reggie Miller-led Pacers.
5 Knicks fans have not witnessed a home victory in the Eastern Conference Finals yet.
Aristide Economopoulos for NY Post
However, they have yet to turn MSG into a true home-court advantage this postseason.
In their 4-2 series win against the Pistons, just one of the Knicks' wins came at home. In the second round against the Celtics, they dropped Game 3 at home after stealing the first two on the road, but won Games 4 and 6 at MSG.
Entering the conference finals with home-court advantage, the Knicks collapsed down the stretch in Game 1 and lost in overtime before dropping another tight one in Game 2.
They then followed that up with a statement road win in Game 3.
5 Jalen Brunson looks on disappointedly during the Knicks' Game 2 home loss to the Pacers.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Knicks are 6-1 on the road in these playoffs.
When you pair the celebrities with the championship-hungry New York fan base, perhaps Esiason has a point.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected
Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks' overtures to speak with the head coaches of two rival playoff squads have been rejected. Advertisement New York recently relieved five-year head coach Tom Thibodeau of his duties, after he had led the club to its most successful season in a quarter century, a 51-win stint that ended in a six-game Eastern Conference Finals defeat to the Indiana Pacers. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks posted an impressive 226-174 regular season record, making the playoffs in four of their five seasons. Thibodeau's Knicks squads went 24-23 in the playoffs, and won four playoff series, amidst consistent roster churn. Just prior to training camp this season, New York imported five-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, after having added All-Defensive Team swingman Mikal Bridges earlier in the 2024 offseason. Advertisement Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starting five during the 2024-25 regular season, before finally expanding his rotation during the postseason. Some critical fans — and, fatally, Knicks decision makers in the front office and ownership group — grew frustrated with the 67-year-old Thibodeau's perceived overreliance on a finite rotation. Still, Thibodeau got a lot out of his squads, and helped raise the ceiling of a franchise that had struggled to enjoy consistent success this century prior to his arrival. Brad Penner-Imagn Images Now, it appears that the Knicks are aiming to make a splash with their next hire, targeting a few head coaches currently on long-term deals with playoff teams. Advertisement Sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN that New York asked to interview with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch about their new head coaching vacancy. Finch, 55, has been serving as Minnesota's head coach since midway through All-NBA superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards' 2020-21 rookie season. He boasts a 209-160 overall regular season record, and a 21-21 playoff record. Finch has guided the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two postseasons. Udoka, 47, has been in Houston since 2023. He owns a 93-71 regular season record with the Rockets and led the franchise to its first playoff stint this spring, a seven-game first series loss to the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement During his one-and-done season coaching the Boston Celtics, Udoka in 2021-22, Udoka guided Boston to a 51-31 record and an NBA Finals berth... where the Celtics fell to the Warriors. Provided Udoka doesn't have to play Golden State in the postseason, he seems to have plenty of upside on the hardwood. Charania adds that the Knicks have yet to reach out to ex-New York point guard Jason Kidd, currently the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas would apparently reject an interview request, however. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Canadian superstar notches third sizzling trials swim
Summer McIntosh has come within a whisker of breaking a third world record at the Canadian swimming trials after finishing 0.45 seconds outside Liu Zige's 200m butterfly mark set during the era of the now-banned "super-suits". Three-times Olympic champion McIntosh, who set world records in the 400 freestyle on Saturday and the 200 individual medley on Monday, clocked 2:02.26 on Tuesday to post the second-fastest women's 200 butterfly in history. The 18-year-old was on world record pace when she made the final turn but fell just short of Liu's 2:01.81 set in 2009. "I was kind of upset with myself with the finish," McIntosh said. "My last stroke was just a little bit wonky. I can definitely find the other little deficiencies through the race. "The fact I'm knocking on the door of that world record is really encouraging. That's the one world record I never thought I would even come close to. To be pretty close to it is pretty wild." McIntosh's time was also more than 10 seconds under the minimum qualifying mark of 2:13.73 for the world championships in Singapore in July and August.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Judge Approves Landmark NCAA Settlement, Paving Way for Revenue Sharing
Judge Approves Landmark NCAA Settlement, Paving Way for Revenue Sharing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A federal judge on Friday approved a historic settlement that will allow colleges to begin directly paying student-athletes, signaling the most significant shift in the history of college sports and effectively dismantling the amateurism model that defined the NCAA for more than a century. Advertisement U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken, who has long presided over high-profile NCAA cases, gave final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement, nearly five years after Arizona State swimmer Grant House and others filed suit seeking to end restrictions on athlete compensation. Under the agreement, schools can distribute up to $20.5 million annually to athletes, beginning as soon as July 1. Additionally, $2.7 billion will be paid out over 10 years to thousands of former athletes. The ruling completes the transition that began with Wilken's earlier decisions, including her 2014 ruling in favor of Ed O'Bannon, and the NCAA's 2021 decision to allow athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness. The new revenue-sharing model pushes even further, professionalizing college athletics and placing much of the power in the hands of the four major conferences. While athletes in high-revenue sports like football and men's basketball stand to benefit significantly with some reportedly landing NIL deals worth more than $10 million, the settlement could reduce opportunities for walk-ons and Olympic sport athletes. In response, Wilken mandated a process to allow athletes cut during early implementation to be reinstated. Related: Kentucky Basketball Beats Cap Proposal With NIL Power Play Key dates include the June 11 launch of the NIL Go portal, a June 15 opt-in deadline for non-defendant schools, and the start of revenue sharing on July 1. Schools must also comply with new roster limits by their sport's season start or by Dec. 1 for winter and spring sports. Advertisement Related: Michigan Running Back's Groundbreaking NIL Deal Redefines College Football Despite the sweeping changes, legal uncertainty remains. Varying state laws and the absence of a federal NIL framework leave room for future litigation. NCAA President Charlie Baker continues to push for national legislation and antitrust protection to stabilize the rapidly evolving landscape. Still, attorneys behind the settlement argue it delivers what athletes have long deserved, which is a share of the billions their efforts generate from TV deals, merchandise, and championships. As the 2025–26 academic year begins, the college sports model will look unlike anything seen before. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
