Paul Rudd has watched enough New York sports to know the city does not celebrate quietly.
The actor and longtime Knicks fan weighed in on New York’s NBA Finals run during an interview with Variety, making it clear that he understands the emotional stakes around this team. Rudd called the Knicks’ current push “amazing” and pointed to their dominance as one of the biggest reasons the moment feels so electric.
But his bigger point went beyond basketball.
#PaulRudd on the “incredible” Knicks run in the Finals ahead of Game 3:
“If the Knicks were to ever really win the whole thing, this place would go crazy. And New York would go crazy in a way that’s different from the way they do with the Yankees or the Giants — I think they’d… pic.twitter.com/YUMwyyBwJf
— Variety (@Variety) June 8, 2026
Paul Rudd Sees What a Knicks Title Would Mean
Rudd said he has spent years wondering what would happen if the Knicks finally reached the top of the NBA again. In his view, New York would explode in a way that even other championship teams in the city might not match.
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The Yankees and Giants have delivered plenty of parades. The Mets and Jets would also shake the city if they won it all. Still, Rudd sees something different with the Knicks.
That is the power of Madison Square Garden, decades of frustration and a fan base that has waited for this exact kind of run.
Rudd also discussed his return to Marvel for “Avengers: Doomsday,” saying the experience still makes him feel like a kid. He described seeing actors in superhero suits as surreal, especially when stars like Chris Hemsworth walk around dressed as Thor.
For Knicks fans, though, Rudd’s superhero world can wait.
New York has its own blockbuster playing right now, and if the Knicks finish the job, even Ant-Man knows the city may never look the same.
Paul Rudd has watched enough New York sports to know the city does not celebrate quietly. The actor and longtime Knicks fan weighed in on New York’s NBA Finals run during an interview with Variety, making it clear that he understands the emotional stakes around this team.