Film: Fast Break
Year: 1979
Featured player: Bernard King
This sports comedy film features Knicks then-sophomore small forward Bernard King as Leroy “Hustler” Monroe, a quiet, charismatic, and cool streetball player recruited to turn around a fictional Nevada college basketball program.
TV series: Miami Vice
Year: 1986
Featured player: Bernard King
Episode: “The Fix“
By now, King had become a volume scorer for the Knicks — some consider him to be Carmelo Anthony’s predecessor. Here, he plays Matt Ferguson, star player for a fictional Florida basketball team. But the episode really centers on the character’s father, Judge Roger Ferguson, played by basketball legend (and non-Knick) Bill Russell.
TV series: New York Undercover
Years: 1995-1996
Featured players: Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, Derek Harper, John Starks, and Patrick Ewing
Episodes: “Young, Beautiful, and Dead,” “No Greater Love,” “Going Platinum”
In the mid-’90s, New York Undercover was like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit meets Power — an appointment viewing crime series that regularly featured Black culture’s biggest names. So it was only right that the Knicks hoopers appeared in several episodes alongside stars Malik Yoba and Lauren Vélez.
Film: Eddie
Year: 1996
Featured players: Allan Houston, Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley, John Starks, Larry Johnson, and Patrick Ewing
Once upon a time, this silly storyline — that featured a hoops-obsessed limo driver (played by Whoopi Goldberg) becoming the Knicks’ head coach — seemed more likely than the New York squad actually winning it all. Still, all of the fan favorites pulled up for screen time.
Film: Space Jam
Year: 1996
Featured players: Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson
Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes save the day after a troupe of animated aliens siphon NBA all-stars of their skills.
Film: Black & White
Year: 1999
Featured player: Allan Houston
The Knicks sharpshooter plays Dean Carter, a college hooper who’s pulled into a point-shaving storyline in this James Toback film about NYC hip-hop culture.
Film: The Cookout
Year: 2004
Featured player: Jamal Crawford
This ensemble comedy centers on a newly signed NBA player — microwave scorer and ball-handling god Jamal Crawford — who brings his family together for a celebratory BBQ that quickly spirals into chaos.
TV series: Nurse Jackie
Year: 2012
Featured player: Carmelo Anthony
Episodes: “Disneyland Sucks,” “The Wall”
Melo plays Wayne, a washed-up pro athlete dealing with addiction and recovery. He’s got several speaking lines and appears across a couple of consecutive episodes in the series’ fourth season, sharing the screen with Edie Falco’s character.
TV series: Your Friends & Neighbors
Year: 2026
Featured player: OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby is a man of few words. Showing up as himself in a swanky party, Stephanie Kurtzuba calls Anunoby “very attractive,” to which he simply replies, “Thank you.”
Film: The Devil Wears Prada 2
Year: 2026
Featured player: Karl-Anthony Towns
KAT plays himself here, popping up at a Hamptons party hosted by Meryl Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly. In a brief appearance, his character is introduced to Andy Sachs, who is played by noted Knicks fan Anne Hathaway. (Her real-life appearances at Madison Square Garden have jokingly been linked to stellar performances from some players.)
If you’re looking for something else basketball-related, we suggested Winning Time (HBO).
[TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT]
I was thinking about my past relationships with people I loved, and getting backstabbed, and still loving the person that backstabbed you. It all went into this project.
From going hitting No. 1 on Billboard charts to working with Beyoncé, this guitar hero has had a past few years. But it hasn’t all been sweet. The music star is juggling some complicated feelings on his upcoming release. Take a look here to see who it is, then dive into how he plans on keeping his momentum going.
Let’s Link
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Jhené Aiko Discusses New Jewelry Collection, Upcoming Album, and Her Inspiring Toddler [Vibe]
Hollywood Workers Are Training AI Models As Job Prospects Grow Slim [The Hollywood Reporter]
25 Best No. 1 Latin Summer Songs, Ranked: ‘Despacito,’ ‘DtMF,’ ‘Telepatía,’ ‘Gata Only’ & More [Billboard]
[OUTRO]
Take This Audio Doggie Bag With You
Twenty years after making his big-screen debut in ATL, T.I. blesses us with that new-new. His collaboration with Summer Walker salutes their Atlanta hometown’s skate culture with an anthem that sounds tailor-made for roller rinks — all rapid percussion and smooth synths. Tip’s lyrical focus here is his wife, Tiny, who he serenades on this standout from his newly released Kill the King, reportedly the last album he plans on rolling out before he skates for good.