Should Spike Lee Get a Knicks Championship Ring? Depends on Who You Ask

The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship over the weekend for the first time since 1973.

The Big Apple went into overdrive, celebrating the feat, with late-night partying and lots of booze guzzling. As most NBA fans know, the Knicks are known for their celebrity row at Madison Square Garden. The likes of Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, Mariska Hargitay, and many more are a constant presence.

But there's no doubt that legendary director Spike Lee is the king among celebrity Knicks fans. He's been a diehard fan for nearly 60 years. He's been there for the ups and downs -- mostly downs. But through it all, he was there, loyal as ever. So much so, Lee was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a "Super Fan" alongside other diehard fans, including Billy Crystal and Jack Nicholson.

It's no surprise that many NBA fans are adamant that the Knicks reward Spike, who has had season tickets since 1985, with his own championship ring. Even Philadelphia's favorite son, Kevin Hart, said Spike, who always has the best seat in the house, deserves a ring.

"Shoutout to Spike Lee. Give Spike a ring. Spike deserves a f---ing championship ring, and I'm saying it here," Hart said on Instagram. "Give Spike a New York Knicks championship ring."

Stephen A. Smith, another diehard Knicks fan, agreed.

"I completely support this for Spike Lee," the ESPN personality shared on X. "No Knicks' fan deserves this more than him."

Players, coaches, personnel staff, and longtime employees always get rings when a team wins a championship. Every now and then, teams will award super fans with their own bling. But not everyone's on board with the idea, including Front Office Sports senior reporter Michael McCarthy, who offered this take:

"Get a grip here, people. Call me a traditionalist, but championship rings should go to the players, coaches, and front office staffers who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into a title-not celebrity superfans like Lee," McCarthy opined. "Not movie stars like Timothée Chalamet, or Ben Stiller, who seems to have appointed himself the president of the Knicks fanbase, complete with lectures on Twitter."

No word if Spike will be invited to join the Knicks during Thursday's championship ticker-tape parade.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 1:27 AM.