Director Spike Lee and Pope Leo XIV have something in common today: They both have ties to the New York Knicks.
Lee is arguably the most famous Knicks fan on the planet, having been a courtside ticketholder to their games for decades. Scarcely a game goes without cameras panning to him at least several times.
As for Leo XIV, the American-born pope is a graduate of Villanova University and appears to follow the basketball team. And as it so happens, several members of one of their greatest teams are currently playing for the Knicks.
Back in 2016, he reposted an announcement that Villanova had won the title. They achieved that win with the help of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart – three players who currently play for the Knicks.
So when Lee found out that Leo XIV might have ties to some of his favorite Knicks, he ran to Instagram to proclaim that his team is destined to win the NBA Finals:
“The VATICAN Voted In ROBERT FRANCIS PREVOST As Their 267th PONTIFF. He Is The 1st P0PE From The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Born In Chicago, Illinois. And For My NEW YAWK KNICKS FANS His Alma Mater Is VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY (BRUNSON,HART And BRIDGES Won NCAA Rings At VILLANOVA) What A HOLY BLESSING. 🙏🏾THE KNICKERBOCKERS ARE G🏀-NNA WIN THE 2024-2025 NBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. IT IS DIVINITY.GOD BLESS,” Lee wrote.
There isn’t much actual evidence that Leo XIV supports Villanova basketball, much less the Knicks, other than a post that he retweeted back in 2016.
“In 2016, Robert Prevost (now newly named POPE LEO XIV) reposted an article about Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges (and Donte DiVincenzo) leading Villanova to a Championship,” X user Knicks Memes wrote earlier today. “Knicks have the blessing of the Holy Father.”
In 2016, Robert Prevost (now newly named POPE LEO XIV) reposted an article about Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges (and Donte DiVincenzo) leading Villanova to a Championship
Knicks have the blessing of the Holy Father pic.twitter.com/SlgP1TAUTB
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) May 8, 2025
There’s also no real evidence that divine intervention really takes place in sports (other than the Immaculate Reception perhaps). If there was, the New Orleans Saints would have won a game every time the late Pope Francis included them in a hashtag by accident.
That said, it’s pretty fun to think that the first American pope might be a fan of your favorite team.
The Knicks certainly seem to have gotten some help from a higher power in taking a 2-0 lead over the Boston Celtics so far…