The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in win the franchise’s first NBA Finals since 1973. While Finals MVP Jalen Brunson has received the Lion’s share of the credit for the Knicks’ title, the team’s good luck charm may just be none other than Hollywood A-lister Anne Hathaway.
The Knicks fell in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series to the Atlanta Hawks on April 20. Hathaway’s The Devil Wears Prada 2 then premiered on May 1 and even featured a scene with her character chatting up Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns at a party in the Hamptons.
The Knicks proceeded to go on a historic playoff win streak of 13 games, for which Hathaway’s scene with Towns was jokingly given credit.
the knicks have not lost since karl-anthony towns chatted up anne hathaway in ‘the devil wears prada 2’ pic.twitter.com/VZCPOkZdni
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) May 20, 2026
That’s not all; in 2024, Hathaway was sitting courtside at a Knicks game when Knicks forward OG Anunoby went flying into her as he chased a loose ball. Luckily, Anunoby managed to stop his momentum so that he only crashed into her food, rather than toppling her completely. Hathaway was in good spirits after the event and even posted a video to social media thanking Anunoby for helping her live out something she’d always wanted to experience.
Anunoby responded to the video with a simple “you’re welcome,” but surprisingly went on a tear afterwards, in which he was the best player on New York’s roster.
Fast forward to Wednesday night. Hathaway appeared on the late-night talk show The Tonight Show to promote her new movie “Verity” and host t Jimmy Fallon brought up the Towns meme before gifting her star a signed jersey from Anunoby.
“Are you serious? Oh my god!” Hathaway said, before putting the jersey on. The Knicks also gifted Hathaway, who is five-months pregnant, a basket of gifts for her baby, along with a card reading “All my best” signed by Anunoby.
“I’m so excited about my jersey,” she said.
Later in the show, Fallon asked Hathaway if she’d rather win another Oscar or have the Knicks win another title. After thinking it over, she chose a Knicks title.
“I’m actually, like, the way my nervous system is reacting to that choice is really intense,” she said of the decision.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.