Taylor Swift and HAIM
@haimtheband/Instagram

Taylor Swift and two-thirds of HAIM surprised fans during Wednesday's Game 4 between the Spurs and Knicks.

Taylor Swift's presence was a surprise distraction on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, attending with Alana and Este Haim for the NBA Finals Game 4 between the Spurs and Knicks. Rooting for New York, the trio wore clever blue-orange T-shirts featuring Knicks puns that immediately drew attention from fans.

Swift's shirt read 'Stevie Knicks,' a play on words referring to one of her musical inspirations. Alana's shirt said 'Knickelback,' as in Nickelback, the Canadian rock band, while Este's was emblazoned with 'Knickole Kidman.'

The sisters greeted several fans as they made their way to their courtside seats. They were also spotted jamming out to Pitbull's 'Hotel Room Service' while nursing their courtside drinks.

The Haim Sisters' Well-deserved Rise to Fame

Alana and Este are two-thirds of the pop-rock band HAIM, hailing from Los Angeles, and composed of three sisters (Danielle was not present at Wednesday's game).

Having grown up in a musical household, they learned instruments young and formed a family cover band called Rockinhaim with their parents Moti and Donna. The family played Motown and classic rock at street fairs and charity gigs for morer than a decade.

HAIM released their second album Something to Tell You in 2017, debuting No. 7 on the Billboard 200, and their third album Women in Music Pt. III received rave reviews.

In 2025, they released their fourth studio album I Quit, co-produced with longtime collaborator Rostam. The sisters have opened shows for A-listers like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

A Star-Studded NBA Finals Game

Swift and the Haims sat next to Law & Order SVU's Mariska Hargitay, whose character in the show, Olivia Benson, is one of Swift's cats' namesake.

Game 3 was star-studded; Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, Jackie and Adam Sandler, Spike Lee, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller and Chris Rock were all spotted in the audience.

Swift's Game 4 presence marked her first high-profile NBA appearance this month. In May, Swift and fiancé Travis Kelce attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The match was played at the Cavaliers' court, and Kelce, a Cleveland Heights local, was there to support his hometown team. Fans cheered Kelce after he was featured on the arena's video board, while Swift looked on from her courtside seat.

Taylor Swift's Career Is on a Hot Streak

Less than 24 hours before the game, Swift also surprised fans at Pixar's Toy Story 5 premiere in Los Angeles. Fans have been speculating on her involvement in the sequel since May, and it's now confirmed her track, 'I Knew It, I Knew You,' is featured in the film. Swift had the Toy Story 5 cast and crew autograph her original VHS copy of the first Toy Story film.

'It means the world to me to be a small part of the universe of these films,' Swift told the screening audience. 'And 'Toy Story 5' is my favorite of all the 'Toy Story' movies. I'm so happy to be a part of it.'

Swift is also in New York for the Songwriters Hall of Fame dinner, where she's the youngest female songwriter ever to be elected. Swift joins an esteemed list of artists in the 2026 class, which previously included Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins, Christopher 'Tricky' Stewart, Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, and Walter Afanasieff.

The recognition marks a new milestone in Swift's career, having chart-topping albums and an impressive catalog of songs that could fill several volumes of her best hits. She selected 'Love Story,' 'Blank Space,' 'Anti-Hero,' 'The Last Great American Dynasty,' and 'All Too Well,' in her bid for a nomination in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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