Spike Lee presents the stars of the New York Knicks with a special gift

It belongs in a museum… or at least in the collection of New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee.

The famous film director was the star of the show as he participated in a panel featuring current Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart at Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in Manhattan. Flanked by team legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier and fellow celebrity superfan Ben Stiller, Lee presented Brunson and Hart with a special talisman of Manhattan hardwood history from his private collection: one of the goals from Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, the game that secured the Knicks’ first of two championships in their history.

Game 7 is best known for Willis Reed’s pregame appearance: After missing Game 6 of the series due to injury, Reed limped onto the Madison Square Garden floor to quietly announce his intention to participate in the fateful battle.

Reed scored just four points, the Knicks’ first of the game, but his intervention was enough to shift the momentum permanently to the Manhattan side. Presenting Brunson and Hart with the net encased in a frame, he had Frazier read his epic stat line, which included 36 points and 19 assists as the Knicks marched to a 113-99 victory and secured their first championship.

Lee was in rare form on stage with the modern and past Knicks legends. While he lamented the Knicks’ 50-plus-year drought, he is fully on board with this year’s title run and predicted New York would defeat the hated defending champion Boston Celtics in the semifinals.

“I think now is the time,” Lee said. “Fuck Boston.”

Lee and the Knicks won’t have to wait long to see how they fare against the C’s, as this week’s schedule release revealed that New York will travel to Beantown on Oct. 22 for opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season.

Don’t forget to bookmark All Knicks for the latest news, exclusive interviews, movie analysis and more!