Courtside at the NBA isn’t just a great vantage point for watching the action of the game. Celebrities understand that it is also a great spot for being seen. The essential ingredients for perfect PR are right there: visibility, proximity to the action (and thus attention), security to keep the crowd away, and television cameras for maximum brand exposure.
It’s no wonder then that A-list celebrities flock to watch NBA games courtside and hobnob with the athletes (B-listers are relegated to Clippers’ games only). So, in honor of this time honored tradition, here are our top 10 NBA courtside celebrity sightings:
1. Spike Lee
Spike Lee at a Knicks Game
It used to be that Spike Lee was famous for sitting courtside at Knicks’ games. Now the Knicks are famous for having Spike Lee sit courtside at their games. The only celebrity approaching Spike Lee’s identification with a particular team is
2. Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson at a Lakers' Game
Chinatown, The Shining, Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Batman, A Few Good Men… there are almost too many classic Jack Nicholson movies to name them all. But when his career is summed up, who won’t remember the most famous Lakers‘ fan of all?
3. Jay-Z & Beyonce
Jay-Z & Beyonce at the All Star Game
Neither one needs an introduction. Jay-Z is also a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets, who will soon be moving to Brooklyn.
4. Leonardo DiCaprio and some guy named Zac Efron
Leonardo DiCaprio & Zac Efron
While DiCaprio is dressed appropriately for an NBA game, Efron looks mildly like a wannabe Rasta. Chant down Babylon!
5. Kanye West
Kanye West at an NBA Game
Looking rather peckish.
6. Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera at an NBA Game
Just trying to be like everybody else.
7. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy at an NBA Game
Yes, Eddie Murphy still counts as a celebrity after Pluto Nash.
8. Rihanna
Rihanna at an NBA Game
Maybe she could help boost the Sixers‘ attendance.
9. Matt Damon
Matt Damon at a Boston Celtics Game
Damon doing a spot-on Ted Kennedy impersonation.
10. Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan at the 2009 NBA Finals
We had to step down in the alphabet for this one, but here’s Hulk Hogan at the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic. No wonder Rashard Lewis never touched the paint.
Isn’t normal for courtside celebrities to shamelessly plug whatever they’re working on at the moment? So does it surprise anyone that we’re going to do the same exact thing? Once you’ve shaken off the effect of our stunning candor, take a moment to check out our NBA Fabrics in Fleece and Cotton.
