Back when the Lakers were captivating crowds with performances rivaling the best of Hollywood, one of the coolest figures courtside was undoubtedly Jack Nicholson.
Across the country, his presence did not go unnoticed. Spike Lee, a legendary filmmaker and die-hard basketball fan, once looked up to the actor. “Growing up, the guy I looked at was Jack Nicholson,” Lee remarked. “When I was sitting in the blue seats at the Garden, I said, ‘Hopefully one day I can sit courtside like my guy Jack Nicholson.’”
Lee eventually found his way to front-row seats to cheer on his favorite Knicks. This coming weekend, he will share the spotlight with Nicholson as they both enter basketball’s Hall of Fame.
On Sunday, they will be honored alongside fellow entertainer Billy Crystal and businessman Alan Horwitz by being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s James F. Goldstein SuperFan Gallery, just hours prior to this year’s class induction ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The gallery, named after James Goldstein, is a tribute to some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans of the sport. Goldstein, a familiar face around the NBA, is known for attending nearly 100 games a year. The gallery, established in 2018, also includes well-known fans like Penny Marshall and Raptors supporter Nav Bhatia.
Though they are widely recognized, these celebrities genuinely embody the spirit of fandom. “I merely represent all devoted fans of the game we love,” said Crystal, who has supported the Clippers since their days in San Diego.
At the core, die-hard fans prioritize being present at games that matter, regardless of their seat location. For Lee, that significant moment came on May 8, 1970, when he skipped his father’s concert after receiving a last-minute invitation to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Although he wasn’t sitting up close, he had a memorable view as Willis Reed made a dramatic entrance to the court, overcoming an injury that had sidelined him in Game 6 against the Lakers.
“I’ve been to World Series, World Cups, Super Bowls, and Olympics,” Lee recounted. “That’s the loudest noise I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Crystal has faced challenges as a devoted Clippers fan, particularly given their long-standing struggle to achieve success compared to the Lakers, a team that Lee and others often discussed due to its storied history. “He’s been suffering, too,” Lee noted regarding Crystal. “What makes it worse, he’s in L.A., enduring the Clippers’ woes while the Lakers celebrated their stars like Magic, Shaq, and Kobe. Oh man, that was really rough.”
In contrast, Nicholson has had his fair share of excitement as a Lakers supporter since the 1970s. The acclaimed actor, who has won three Academy Awards, made sure his filming schedules accommodated his Lakers’ games, choosing his courtside spot strategically beside the visiting bench.
He witnessed some thrilling moments firsthand, including the infamous Game 4 collapse during the 2008 NBA Finals, where the Lakers squandered a 24-point lead to the Celtics. Doc Rivers, the Celtics’ coach at the time, recalled Nicholson reiterating that they were “dead men walking” as the rally unfolded.
The two developed a friendship later when Rivers took on the coaching role for the Clippers. At one point, Nicholson even ventured to a Clippers game against the Rockets during the 2015 playoffs, a move Rivers humorously noted he might not repeat again due to the game’s impending troubles for the Clippers.
At 87 years old, Nicholson has stepped back from attending Lakers games and will not be present at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday.
Spike Lee, however, remains a frequent visitor at Madison Square Garden, now donning a Jalen Brunson jersey that pays homage to former star John Starks. For Lee, the Hall of Fame recognition holds great significance as it reflects the connections he has made with many NBA players throughout his career, which includes notable ads featuring Michael Jordan and films like “He Got Game.”
“Many of these guys I know personally,” Lee said, adding with a laugh about how players often greet him warmly, including opposing team members who come over to say hi. Jordan, in particular, had an amusing method of telling him to sit down during games.
Nevertheless, some exchanges have backfired; Lee often finds himself humorously blamed for a Knicks loss, particularly during moments when he might have riled up an opponent like Reggie Miller. He even owns a game statistic sheet signed by Kobe Bryant, who attributed his record-breaking 61-point performance against the Knicks to wanting to prevent Lee from gloating about a victory.
Lee is now set to join the ranks of basketball legends including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in the Hall of Fame. “Resorting to some Brooklyn language,” Lee quipped, “who would have thunk it?”
