Brian Windhorst’s comments on his The Hoop Collective podcast were more prophetic than he might’ve liked.
After ruffling some feathers with his commentary on the Knicks’ series against the Celtics, which New York went on to win 4-2, Windhorst noted that he’d be just fine leaving Madison Square Garden. The longtime ESPN NBA analyst was only walking to his hotel in midtown after all.
It was a bit more than just a simple stroll.
A 10-second clip of Windhorst getting heckled by a Knicks fan made the rounds on social media last week. It wasn’t a great look, but to his credit, Windhorst handled it like a pro.
Now, a second angle has surfaced, giving a little more context to what led up to the exchange. In the new video, you can see fans tossing what looks like trash in Windhorst’s direction.
Damn, this might be the last time Brian Windhorst ever come to MSG. pic.twitter.com/K8KxbFTAmd
— 𝕵𝖊𝖘𝖚𝖘 𝕸𝖆𝖙𝖆 🇪🇸🇳🇬🇩🇴 (@My_Business_Man) May 18, 2025
But this is something else entirely.
It’s not the best look for a fan base already facing scrutiny for behavior that’s spilled into the streets. After the Knicks eliminated the Celtics, fans were seen in another viral video throwing bags of garbage at an Indiana Pacers fan wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey on the streets of New York. We wouldn’t say that wearing a Haliburton jersey was the smartest choice here, but it’s certainly not a justification for getting pelted with trash or jumped by a crowd.
Knicks fans jumped a Haliburton fan. 😳 pic.twitter.com/PzjmzNnxRq
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) May 17, 2025
Since then, the story has taken a more uplifting turn. Pat McAfee tracked down the fan and brought him on The Pat McAfee Show Monday. During the appearance, Tyrese Haliburton himself surprised the fan with tickets to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
“I personally wanna bring you and a plus one out to Indiana for game four..
Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you’re taken care of” ~ @TyHaliburton22 #PMSLive https://t.co/QN7dTplbIw pic.twitter.com/B8y1iqVO02
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 19, 2025
Maybe Knicks fans can mend fences with Windhorst next.
Brian Windhorst on the Dan Patrick show with high praise for Jalen Brunson.
(Please, Knicks fans, leave this man alone) pic.twitter.com/EgEHkOi5p4
— DJ Zullo (@DJAceNBA) May 19, 2025
Say what you will about Windy’s takes, but he absolutely doesn’t deserve to get caught in the crossfire.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.