Timothée Chalamet Prefers Knicks Title Over Oscar, Cardi B
Timothée Chalamet said he would way rather have a New York Knicks championship than an Oscar, and cardi b is not the only celebrity name circulating around the title run. The actor made the comment after the Knicks ended a 53-year wait with a 4-1 series win, then celebrated with the team in the locker room.
Chalamet Courtside at MSG
Chalamet told SportsCenter he would “way rather” have the Knicks title than an Oscar. He also said, “Way rather this than the Oscars! Come on, baby!” courtside at the Frost Bank Center on Saturday night, then added, “Knicks are champions, baby!”
He was courtside at Madison Square Garden during the NBA Finals, part of a run that turned the building into a regular celebrity stop. Spike Lee, Larry David, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, Mariska Hargitay, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and Taylor Swift also sat courtside during the series.
Three Oscar Nominations
Chalamet has been nominated three times at the Oscars, all in best actor. His first nomination came for Call Me by Your Name in 2018, followed by A Complete Unknown in 2025 and Marty Supreme in 2026. That gives his Knicks preference real weight: he is not choosing between one trophy and a fantasy, but between a team title and awards hardware he has already chased three times.
The Knicks last won a championship in 1973 against the Los Angeles Lakers, also in a 4-1 series. This title came after the team beat the San Antonio Spurs in another 4-1 set, and Game 3 was the only loss in the run. President Donald Trump attended that game at the Garden and became the first sitting president in history to attend the NBA Finals.
Chalamet’s locker-room celebration showed how far the moment reached beyond the scoreline. When an off-camera voice asked whether he wanted goggles for the champagne showers, he replied, “I don’t deserve them. I’m not an athlete. Usually, I have a stunt double do that.” For a Knicks fan who has already collected three Oscar nominations, the title was the one prize he wanted in public, and he said so plainly.
