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After 53 years of waiting, McEnroe supports Knicks en route to NBA title

John McEnroe has spent a lifetime in two worlds: Tennis royalty and New York Knicks fandom. This past week, both have taken centre stage for the American icon.

Just one day after commentating on the Roland Garros men’s final in Paris last Sunday, McEnroe was courtside in New York, watching his beloved Knicks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

McEnroe, former World No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings was again in attendance Wednesday for Game 4, when the Knicks moved within one of claiming its first NBA championship since 1973. McEnroe was 14 years old at that time.

“I thought it was going to happen once every five years,” McEnroe said Wednesday during an interview with ESPN’s Inside The NBA broadcast. “I grew up in Queens, two during the first 14 years of my life. None since. To put it mildly, I’m ready for a win.”

^{_{McEnroe attends a Knicks game in 1994 with his sons Kevin (left) and Sean (right). Credit: Maria Bastone/AFP via Getty Images}}

McEnroe's love for basketball is well documented. During Roland Garros, he welcomed former NBA star and current commentator Charles Barkley onto ‘Mac Zone’, the alternate broadcast show that McEnroe hosts alongside his brother Patrick McEnroe.

The Knicks went on to clinch the series 4-1 on Saturday against the Spurs. ATP No. 1 Club member McEnroe was among a list of celebrities to attend this year's NBA Finals, including Taylor Swift, Timothee Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Larry David.

^{_{Actress Drew Barrymore and McEnroe at Madison Square Garden in 2013. Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images}}

^{_{McEnroe at a New York Knicks game in 2025. Credit: Sarah Stier/Getty Images}}