Spike Lee, a long-time basketball enthusiast, was seen courtside at the New York Liberty playoff game, proudly wearing a Sabrina Ionescu jersey. Lee’s support for Ionescu dates back to 2020, when she was drafted as the No. 1 pick by the Liberty.
“He was the first to call and share the excitement when New York got the No. 1 pick,” Ionescu said after scoring 21 points in the Liberty’s 87-77 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. “Every time we meet, we chat briefly, and I told him he needs to come to a game. It’s great to see him here, cheering, talking to the refs, and engaging with the players.”
Known for his passionate presence at New York Knicks games over the years, where he’s famously trash-talked opposing players like Reggie Miller, Lee was at Barclays Center to show his support for the Liberty. This time, Aces guard Kelsey Plum was the target of his playful banter.
“I can’t say exactly what he said, but I told him he should talk louder,” Plum said with a smile after the game. “It was all in good fun, and it’s really cool to have him here. He’s a huge sports fan.”
This marks the second consecutive Liberty playoff game that Lee has attended. He was also present at the first-round clincher against Atlanta, where he high-fived Ionescu during the third quarter, a moment she described as “feeling like New York was injected into my veins.”
Lee was part of a sellout crowd of 14,015, which also included notable fans like Jason Sudeikis and Tracy Morgan.
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