When the New York Knicks are playing at the iconic Madison Square Garden, you can almost always spot Spike Lee courtside, decked out in blue and orange, passionately cheering for his favorite team. “My father was a Knicks fan who took me to the old Garden on 8th Avenue. My love for sports comes from my late father,” said the longtime season ticket holder when talking about his deep connection with the Knicks. But his love isn’t limited to just the Knicks — Lee is a die-hard fan of New York sports as a whole.

When St. John’s faced Creighton in the conference final tournament, Spike Lee was spotted wearing St. John’s red to show support for “New York’s team,” as Rick Pitino put it. The legendary filmmaker’s presence highlighted the growing excitement around the program’s success.

With Spike Lee rocking all-red courtside, the Red Storm (30-4) kept their perfect record at the Garden intact, improving to 12-0 in their home away from home. Now, they’re heading into the NCAA Tournament as a likely No. 2 or 3 seed—their highest since 2000.

Rick Pitino’s impact has been nothing short of transformational. In just his second season at St. John’s—and his third stint in the Big East—he’s turned the program into a powerhouse. Originally projected to finish fifth in the conference, the Red Storm didn’t just exceed expectations—they dominated, clinching both the regular season and tournament titles in emphatic fashion.

As St. John’s ended their drought by winning their first Big East tournament since 2000, it was Spike Lee in the stands that caused some uproar among the Johnnies. Some fans couldn’t quite digest the fact that the filmmaker was supporting the team. They took to social media to voice their frustrations, adding a bit of drama to the celebration.

Fans fume as Spike Lee attends St John’s game

Fans weren’t happy to see Spike Lee in the stands and took to X to vent their frustrations. One fan posted, “We do not claim Spike,” while another added, “Didn’t go to our school – shouldn’t be wearing our colors.” A third fan went as far as calling him the “Ultimate bandwagon fan!!!!”

Fans’ frustration comes from a simple fact—St. John’s wasn’t exactly a powerhouse before Rick Pitino took over. This year marks their first direct entry into the Big Dance since 2014. Sure, they were on the bubble in 2019, but that run ended fast with a first-round loss to Arizona State.

Now, with St. John’s looking at a potential 2 or 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, the hype is real. And so is the controversy. Enter Spike Lee—a lifelong New Yorker and NYU alum—who had never attended St. John’s games before this season. Naturally, fans are calling him out, claiming he’s just hopping on the bandwagon.

However, some fans defended Spike Lee for showing up to support the Red Storm. One fan took to X, saying, “That’s just how it be. He somewhat deserves to bandwagon a college team since he’s supported the Knicks all these years. I’m a Nova fan, but I support all Philly schools when they play. You won’t see me decked out in St. Joe’s gear though.”

The 67-year-old filmmaker was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a superfan last year. Spike Lee has been attending Knicks games since 1968 and witnessed their last NBA championship win in 1970. Having supported a franchise for over 50 years, it’s not surprising to see a New York native support other New York teams as well.

Whether you call him a bandwagon fan or not, Lee’s devotion to New York sports is undeniable. He was also seen supporting the New York Liberty in the WNBA finals against the Minnesota Lynx last season. So, Spike Lee turning up to support a New York team in the finals shouldn’t be something to get mad about.