Taylor Swift was at Madison Square Garden for Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, and star NBA host Ernie Johnson took a photo with her.
Legendary link up 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8OshVrvdut
— espnW (@espnW) June 11, 2026
Naturally, this later caused quite the stir on Inside the NBA.
“I just became the coolest grandpa in the history of the world,” Johnson said, as Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Draymond Green chimed in with commentary at halftime on the ESPN on ABC broadcast of Game 4. “My grandkids are so excited.”
“I just became the coolest grandpa in the history of the world.”
Ernie Johnson after taking a photo with Taylor Swift. pic.twitter.com/HLAf7i9Jdm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2026
The Inside the NBA postgame show, after a mind-blowing Knicks comeback victory, closed out by revisiting Johnson’s photo with Swift.
After Johnson thanked Green for his work as a guest analyst at the NBA Finals while noting that the longtime Golden State Warriors star will not travel with the crew to San Antonio for Game 5, Barkley asked, “Y’all can’t afford him?”
“What do you mean ‘Y’all can’t afford him?'” Johnson responded.
“Ernie, you know you’re the boss around here,” Barkley said.
“I may not be the boss, but I did have a moment with Taylor Swift tonight,” Johnson said. “You could say I am the boss. This was a very special moment.”
The Inside the NBA production crew also photoshopped Johnson into a “Swiftie” meme for a Swift concert.
https://t.co/HOL7ysYtZQ pic.twitter.com/miYhOBG2T2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 11, 2026
“You should see the thread of texts after I sent that to all my kids and grandkids,” Johnson explained.
“Ernie, you should ask for a wedding invite,” Green said. Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce have their wedding set at the same venue, Madison Square Garden, for July 3.