Stan Van Gundy takes brutal shots at New York Knicks fans ahead of playoffs

The New York Knicks are set to face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs. The Knicks are favored to beat the Pistons heading into the postseason, but former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy took some shots at New York fans.

Speaking to Steve Serby of the New York Post, Van Gundy was asked about the love affair between the Knicks and their fans. He called them passionate, comparing them to Philadelphia 76ers fans, but also called them "front-runners" for loving when winning and booing when losing.

"Well, they’re passionate, love affair? I don’t know," Van Gundy said. "Love affair when they’re playing well, and hate affair when they’re not playing well. The Knicks fans and the Philly fans, they are, they’re front-running fans. They're in love with their team when things are going well, but they’ll boo their team off the floor when they’re not playing well. That’s not a crowd that’s focused on lifting you up."

The New York Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973, and their fans have suffered throughout the decades. They were nearly irrelevant in the 1980s, while Patrick Ewing's Knicks always came up short in the 1990s. They were terrible in the 2000s, before Carmelo Anthony revitalized the franchise in the 2010s.

Jalen Brunson brought in some flair this decade, with Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges coming in to help. However, the Knicks have not proven anything and will have their hands full against the Detroit Pistons in the first round.

The Pistons beat them in the regular season series 3-1, including three straight wins on Dec. 7, Jan. 13 and April 10. Thursday's matchup was a preview of what's coming in the playoffs, which was not good news for the Knicks.

Cade Cunningham had 36 points and eight assists in Detroit's 115-106 win. Jalen Duren added 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Tobias Harris contributed 17 points. Brunson had 15 points on 15 shots, with Towns dropping 25 points and 10 rebounds plus seven turnovers.

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New York Knicks to play season finale against Brooklyn Nets

New York Knicks to play season finale against Brooklyn Nets. (Photo: IMAGN)

The New York Knicks will play their regular-season finale on the road against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. As mentioned above, the Knicks have already clinched a spot in the playoffs, including homecourt advantage in the first round versus the Detroit Pistons.

The result has no bearing for the Knicks, so Tom Thibodeau will likely rest his starters to keep them fresh for the postseason and avoid any unnecessary injuries. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are all listed as questionable, while Mikal Bridges is likely continuing his iron man streak and will complete another 82-game season.