KEY POINT
- McNutt described the incident as the “epitome of a hot mic situation” and said she remains mystified about how the comments reached a wider audience.
- The ESPN reporter revisited the controversy during an Oct. 25 appearance on The Pivot podcast.
- McNutt previously apologized after learning Swift had a history of supporting the New York Knicks.
The controversy began June 10 during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when Swift attended the game and sat courtside. McNutt and her co-broadcaster on the Knicks’ radio broadcast believed their conversation was off air while discussing the singer’s presence.
McNutt was heard saying, “She’s not a Knicks fan, get out of here, girl.” The remark subsequently circulated online, prompting criticism from Swift’s devoted fanbase, known as Swifties.
Speaking on The Pivot on Sunday, Oct. 25, McNutt questioned how the private-sounding exchange became widely available. She called the incident the “epitome of a hot mic situation” and said she would welcome an explanation about how the recording reached so many people.
“I’m still mystified and would love someone to explain how that got to the masses, but we’ll leave that there,” McNutt said.
Her comments shift attention from the original disagreement over Swift’s team allegiance to a separate question: how a conversation broadcasters believed was off-air became a widely discussed public moment.
McNutt recalled discovering that she was going viral during the same game, shortly after Knicks player OG Anunoby made a game winning tip-in. At that moment, she said, the basketball action mattered more to her than the online reaction.
“Dude, I don’t care. Did you just see that?! Like, I do not care,” she recalled saying.
Looking back, McNutt characterized her original remark as a “throwaway comment.” She also explained that her instruction for Swift to “get out of here” was colloquial rather than a literal demand for the singer to leave.
McNutt said she had been able to laugh about the situation and viewed the experience as a reminder that social media does not necessarily reflect real-life interactions. She added that nobody had confronted her about the incident in person.
Following the initial backlash, McNutt addressed the controversy in comments to TMZ, acknowledging that her assumption about Swift’s Knicks fandom was mistaken.
“Swifties, I appreciate your passion,” she said before explaining that an old photograph showed Swift wearing an Amar’e Stoudemire jersey while posing with the former Knicks player and Carmelo Anthony.
McNutt said she had “misspoke” and did not know Swift had supported the Knicks for years. She explained that she had not seen the singer at Knicks games during the current or previous year, which contributed to her misunderstanding.
She also referenced Swift’s recent appearance at a Cleveland Cavaliers game alongside her then fiancé, Travis Kelce. Although Kelce supports the Cavaliers, McNutt noted that Swift had not worn Knicks merchandise at that game, leaving her unaware of the singer’s allegiance.
The incident illustrates how comments made during live sports broadcasts can attract attention beyond the game itself, particularly when they involve globally recognized entertainers.
In McNutt’s case, the disagreement was not simply about a celebrity attending a basketball game; it also raised questions about assumptions surrounding a fan’s team loyalty and the reach of an unexpectedly public recording.
McNutt has since acknowledged her mistake regarding Swift’s Knicks history. However, her latest remarks show that she still does not understand how the original conversation spread so widely online.
