When Hollywood’s brightest stars need a break from the red carpet, where do they go? Apparently, right to the hardwood—armed with season tickets, custom jerseys, and front-row seats. As the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame gets ready to celebrate the real icons of the sport, none other than Jack Nicholson, Spike Lee, Billy Crystal, and Alan Horwitz are getting their rightful spots in the James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery. That’s right, these superstar superfans aren’t just clapping from the sidelines anymore—they’re practically in the Hall of Fame starting five.
For anyone who’s been living under a rock—or outside of Madison Square Garden—it’s no surprise that Spike Lee, basketball’s most passionate trash-talker in a Knicks jersey, has made it this far. This is the guy who ditched his dad’s concert to witness Willis Reed hobble onto the court in the 1970 NBA Finals and still claims that the noise in the Garden that night was louder than a World Series, Super Bowl, and any concert combined. Imagine telling your pops, “Sorry, Dad, the Knicks need me more than your sax solo tonight.”
But Lee isn’t the only celeb whose dedication earned them a seat in this VIP section of the Hall. The ultimate Lakers front-row celebrity, Jack Nicholson, not only adjusted his filming schedules to catch games but sat right by the visiting bench so he could heckle them in style—sunglasses on, of course. Nicholson watched in horror as the Lakers blew a 24-point lead to the Celtics in the 2008 Finals, famously muttering, “Dead men walking” before the inevitable collapse. Geez, talk about foreshadowing. Even Doc Rivers remembers thinking, “Is Jack giving us some kind of psychic spoiler?” Spoiler alert: He was.
Billy Crystal, who’s been suffering the never-ending heartbreak of being a Clippers fan (bless his soul), still doesn’t get why he subjected himself to decades of misery while living in Lakerland. While Magic, Shaq, and Kobe were parading through championships, poor Billy was out there yelling, “Next year!” from the cheap seats. You almost have to admire his pain tolerance—there’s devotion, and then there’s Clippers fandom.
Speaking of tortured souls, Alan Horwitz, the Sixers’ biggest supporter, joins these Hollywood heavyweights in the SuperFan Gallery. The man has seen his fair share of disappointment, with the Sixers going decades without a title since Dr. J’s glory days. The pain is real, but so is his loyalty.
Back to Spike—our favorite Knicks fan. Even though his beloved team hasn’t won anything substantial since bell-bottoms were in style, he’s still hyped about his front-row seat, now decked out in a Jalen Brunson jersey. Gone are the days when he rocked a John Starks jersey, but his courtside antics are alive and well. Spike’s been cursed at by Michael Jordan, egged on by Reggie Miller, and even blamed for Kobe Bryant dropping an insane 61 points in the Garden—because, apparently, Kobe didn’t want Spike to run his mouth. And you bet Spike kept the signed stat sheet from that game as a badge of honor—expletives and all.
Now, Jack Nicholson, at the ripe age of 87, has retired from his courtside duties, making Billy and Spike the reigning kings of NBA fandom. Jack might be missing this Hall of Fame induction, but something tells me he’s still cackling from his mansion, sunglasses still on, watching old Lakers highlights and smirking about all the courtside smack he threw out over the years.
So, what’s next for these celeb superfans? Besides, you know, soaking in their Hall of Fame status, they’ll keep reminding us that while they may be VIPs at the movies, in the world of basketball, they’re just like the rest of us—minus the nosebleed seats.
And to Spike, who said it best: “Who would’ve thunk it?” From the bleachers to the Hall of Fame, these legends remind us that true love for the game transcends the court—and if you’re famous enough, even courtside.