Have you ever gone the extra mile to impress your crush, or someone you feel you want to make a good impression on? Well, then you are more relatable to OG Anunoby than you might think. Though the player himself hasn’t confirmed it, the New York Knicks star is often teased for playing at a better level if a high-profile female celebrity ever graces the courtside seats of Madison Square Garden or any arena in which his team is playing. Even his teammate, Josh Hart, joked about this ‘phenomenon’ by once stating, “We need Suni or Anne Hathaway at every game during this playoff run”. Well, Hart might have some strong manifestation powers, cause one part of that wish got fulfilled.

Less than a week after Josh Hart made the joke about Suni Lee, the renowned Olympic gymnast appeared at a Knicks game. Not just any Knicks game, but in the recent Game 2 of the team’s ongoing Playoff series against the Detroit Pistons. The Jumbotron even highlighted her as she waved to the camera amidst the applause and cheers from the crowd at MSG.

The recent matchup does not mark the first time that the 22-year-old gymnast made an appearance at a Knicks game. In fact, she attended her latest NBA game, before the recent Knicks-Pistons matchup, just earlier this month. Dressed in a black blazer and an Olympic Pendant, she sat courtside as the Knicks battled against the Phoenix Suns. Before that, she reportedly attended her first Knicks game back in December 2024, as the New York Knicks beat the Orlando Magic 121-106 to qualify for the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. She highlighted her excitement by stating, “Oh my gosh, it was so cool. I had so much fun, this is my first time at the Knicks game, and definitely want to remember it. I’m currently getting my jersey signed in the back.”

In light of this, it is certainly time now for OG Anunoby to shine. The author is not the only one saying this. He has some support.

NBA Fans egg OG Anunoby on after Suni Lee’s presence goes viral: “might be getting a big second half ”

The official X account of theScore bet joked that “BREAKING: SUNI LEE IS IN ATTENDANCE AT MSG TONIGHT. We might be getting a big second half from OG Anunoby. 😭”.

On both occasions that Suni Lee attended the Knicks games, OG Anunoby delivered a masterclass performance. The player reportedly scored 18 points during the game in December 2024 and 32 points in the early April matchup against the Phoenix Suns. While Anunoby had performed on a similar level and even scored 35 points in a game back in March, his shooting was at a more efficient level than before against the Phoenix Suns. After all, he recorded his 32 points by shooting 13-17 (76.5%) field goals, 6-8 (75.0%) 3-pointers, and 0-0 (0%) free throws. Therefore, even if Anunoby was attempting to shut down the rumors that he only performs well in Suni Lee’s presence, he wasn’t doing a good job.

One social media user joked that “Quick someone make sure OG Anunoby knows Suni Lee is there”.

OG Anunoby performs well when a major celebrity occupies a courtside seat, and this joke isn’t just limited to the 22-year-old. Even renowned actress Anne Hathaway became a part of the meme conversation after she attended a Knicks game back in November 2024. She sat quite close to the court alongside her son Jack, though someone placed a table ahead of them. As it turned out, it was a good thing the table was there. After all, during the 1st quarter of the Knicks-Bulls game, Josh Giddey attempted to pass the ball to Zach LaVine. OG Anunoby intercepted it, but the player lost his balance while running after the ball, and had an almost collision with Anne Hathaway.

Fortunately, the table blocked the player, and no harm was caused to anyone. In fact, his mistake was able to bring a smile to Anne Hathaway’s face. Anunoby scored 14 points in the same game.

One individual joked that “Suni Lee at MSG??? brb, Live Betting all of OG Anunoby’s lines”. Well, maybe the individual should not have been so sure about where to place his bets. After all, despite Suni Lee’s presence, the player could not manage to come out on top too well against the Pistons in Game 2. The Detroit Pistons took home the win by a 100-94 score. On top of that, OG Anunoby could only manage to score 10 points by shooting 4-10 field goals, 0-4 3-pointers, and 2-2 free throws. Therefore, several New Yorkers and/or Knicks fans, like Suni Lee, would have left Madison Square Garden disappointed.

Even if he fumbled throughout the game, people still had confidence that OG Anunoby would deliver in front of the Olympic Gymnast. This is why another social media user wrote, “Suni Lee is back at MSG, so naturally all eyes are now on OG Anunoby to drop 40”. That might have been too big of an expectation levied on the player. After all, he scored 40 points only in one matchup during the recent regular season. It was the November 2024 matchup against the Denver Nuggets in which the player shot 16-23 (69.6%) field goals, 5-7 (71.4%) 3-pointers, and 3-3 (100.0%) free throws.

One individual highlighted his disappointment after the game by writing, “So I guess the final score disproves the Suni Lee – OG Anunoby theory 🙃🥲”. Well, you never know. Just because it did not work once does not mean it won’t work again.

Overall, the majority of reactions continued teasing OG Anunoby about Suni Lee and how her presence can have a positive effect on his game. While the charm could not work well this time, one hopes that Suni Lee continues dropping in if the Knicks progress through the playoffs. Who knows, her continued appearances might even inspire OG Anunoby to help the New York Knicks secure the team’s first championship title since 1973.