Monica McNutt, the Knicks radio host and basketball analyst for ESPN, recently walked back on her claim about Taylor Swift‘s New York Knicks fandom during the 2026 NBA Finals. After her comment about how she believed the “Eldest Daughter” singer was not a fan of the notable basketball team, the host received a lot of backlash from fans. The basketball analyst’s recent clarification about that claim came right after all the online criticism.
Knicks radio host Monica McNutt admits she ‘misspoke’ after Taylor Swift comments sparked backlash
Monica McNutt, the Knicks radio host and ESPN basketball analyst, recently admitted that she “misspoke” about Taylor Swift’s York Knicks fandom during the 2026 NBA Finals. The host’s explanation came after her comments about the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter sparked significant backlash from fans online.
On Wednesday, June 10, McNutt was broadcasting during Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs from the Knicks’ home radio network. At one moment, the host and her broadcast team partner, Tyler Murray, spotted Swift at Madison Square Garden’s celebrity row. The analyst then went on to give her own analysis about the singer-songwriter’s presence at the game. She quipped, “She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl.” The hot mic moment, which was caught on camera, garnered a ton of online criticism from fans.
Now, on Thursday, June 11, Monica McNutt gave an interview to TMZ Sports, where the Knicks radio host said, “Swifties, I appreciate your passion. I said what I said.” She then clarified, “I misspoke. I did not know,” while referring to her comment about Swift during the NBA Finals 2026. The analyst further explained, “I literally just did a piece on Celebrity Row.” She continued, “I’ve been with this organization for five years. I know these folks. Ben Stiller [and] his wife, Christine [Taylor], Spike Lee, Fat Joe.” She then added, “I had not seen her here this year or last year.”
In the meantime, McNutt also told the news outlet that Swift “didn’t have on any Knicks paraphernalia.” The host continued, “So I did not know of her Knicks loyalty.” “But shout-out to T. Swift. We can be united in orange and blue,” she further added.
