Ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN personality Pat McAfee, a known fan of all things Indianapolis, including the Pacers, went viral when he called out some visiting celebrity fans of the New York Knicks, such as Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, and Ben Stiller.
"Indianapolis, Indiana! We got some bigwigs from the big city in the building," McAfee called out to a raucous crowd from courtside seats.
The former Indianapolis Colts punter, who is now one of the biggest sports media personalities in the country, shared some friendly taunts that added some flair to what ended up being a huge win for the Pacers, who now have a 3-1 lead after their 130-121 win over the Knicks on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, Stiller shared a message on social media, encouraging the back-and-forth by replying to a video of McAfee discussing Game 4 and the fun shared among fans from both teams.
"It’s all good - we had a blast ð✊ð§¡," shared Stiller, the generationally-talented actor, director and comedian best known from his many hit films like "Meet the Parents," "Dodgeball," and his latest directorial effort, "Severance" on Apple TV+.
In the clip that Stiller replied to, McAfee mentioned how great it was to see Chalamet in Indianapolis to take in the game and how evident it was that he is such a big fan of the Knicks.
Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller pose for a portrait prior to game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks
Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller pose for a portrait prior to game four of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
McAfee then mentioned that he didn't know Stiller was such a big Knicks fan, considering he had traveled to the game and found it "cool" to see his fandom.
Stiller was born in New York City and frequently shares posts on social media about his favorite teams. His X profile picture features the Knicks logo, and a review of his timeline reveals numerous conversations about the Knicks.
There are many instances where Stiller is live-posting during games about all the highs and lows as experienced by Knicks fans.
In another post on X, Stiller encouraged McAfee to come out to Game 5, which will be played in New York on Thursday. With a win in that game, the Pacers would advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. In 2000, the Pacers lost 4-2 to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking their first title in what would become a three-peat.