The Sesame Street character drew backlash after posting neutral support for the Knicks and Spurs on Wednesday.
4:50 PM
Elmo, the Sesame Street character, has drawn sharp criticism from New York Knicks fans after wishing both teams well ahead of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
The Muppet posted on X: "Elmo hopes both teams have fun!" The message prompted thousands of New Yorkers to accuse Elmo of disloyalty, with many using the phrase "pick a side coward" in their responses.
The backlash centers on Elmo's connection to New York. Sesame Street, the children's show featuring the character, is set in Manhattan. In 2019, the city officially renamed the intersection of Broadway and West 63rd Street as Sesame Street to mark the show's 50th anniversary.
The New York City Department of Transportation responded to the controversy with a joking post on social media, writing: "don't make us take this down, bro."
The Knicks are competing in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. This marks the Knicks' first opportunity to win an NBA championship since 1999, when they last reached the Finals. In that matchup, also against the Spurs, the Knicks lost.
Spurs fans have drawn their own attention this week by wearing candy-colored T-shirts to honor San Antonio's annual Fiesta festival, a tradition that continued during the Finals.
MSG family of companies will distribute 250 complimentary tickets for each of Games 3 and 4 through Garden of Dreams Foundation to address soaring ticket prices.
New York defeated Cleveland 130-93 Monday to advance. Fans celebrated outside MSG despite NYPD watch party restrictions; six were arrested.
San Antonio beat Oklahoma City 111-103 Saturday to advance to the Finals for the first time since 2014, setting up a matchup with New York beginning Wednesday.
President Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani plan separate attendance at Game 3, with Trump in a suite and Mamdani in a different section.
Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds as San Antonio won 122-115 on the road despite 23 turnovers.
The trophy design will appear at center court in San Antonio and New York for the first time since 2009, painted directly onto the hardwood.
