Meet the Knicks fan shooting NBA Finals courtside magic on his iPhone: Hollywood legend Ben Stiller
Meet the Knicks fan shooting NBA Finals courtside magic on his iPhone: Hollywood legend Ben Stiller
Publish Date: 2026-06-07 21:15:00
Source Domain: www.nytimes.com
NEW YORK — Looking at this camera operator’s iPhone, you can hardly make out what is coming through his lens. A nearly opaque, washed-out image of Victor Wembanyama cuts through the screen, as the filmmaker sits just far enough away to fit the 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs star in frame.
Sitting in the closest spot in the building to Wembanyama, he has the perfect shot of the shot. As Wembanyama gets the ball, pulls, fires away, and then falls back to the floor as the ball clanks off the rim and the final buzzer rings out, the camera shakes as the man screams, “Yeah!” It’s a genuine POV of a devout Knicks fan watching his team inch closer to history, shooting a courtside scene dramatic enough to win this cameraman another Emmy.
The most exciting angle of Wembanyama’s missed jumper at the buzzer, giving the Knicks a 2-0 series lead in the NBA Finals, was filmed by Hollywood icon Ben Stiller.
KNICKS IN 4 pic.twitter.com/xoJjimzbo7
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 6, 2026
“If you’re lucky enough to have that access and have that point of view, I feel like it’s great to be able to share that,” Stiller tells The Athletic. “I think that’s the biggest part of it, is to be able to share that point of view because I feel so grateful to have that. And then it’s fun to be just witnessing it.”
Stiller has been courtside for the Knicks throughout the playoff run and has turned his X profile into a Knicks Stan account. His profile picture is a photo of a Jalen Brunson jersey. His banner image behind that avatar is a shot of the Knicks celebrating their first Eastern Conference finals win since 1999. He is one of the many famous Knicks fans who are celebrity row mainstays, but he is turning his fandom into a gift for the masses.
He is not only one of the most renowned comedic actors of the 21st century, but has also become an acclaimed director and producer.
Of the hundreds of fan videos that come out of each game, his was different from them all. It…
