Ben Stiller saw firsthand on Thursday evening how live television can sometimes be a bit finicky. Even big name Hollywood celebrities have to overcome technical issues.
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Stiller, a noted New York Knicks fan, took part in a sitdown with ESPN's Inside the NBA. He had plans on conducting an interview with Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Draymond Green. However, someone forgot to turn on Stiller's microphone.
"Great day for me," the actor said to start the interview. This is the only part of the audio that the other microphones captured. He ultimately had to take Green's microphone so that he could actually take part in the conversation.
Ben Stiller gets a muted mic to begin his 'Inside the NBA' appearance on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ACDI32Udpg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 10, 2026
Once the actor received a live microphone, he could begin fielding questions from the panel. One, in particular, focused on his ability to get "season tickets" to watch his favorite team in action.
As Barkley said, the Knicks currently have a lot of "fair weather fans" because the NBA team is competing for a title. He did not believe Stiller fit this description considering that he has been courtside for a very long time.
"I don't have a season ticket," Stiller said. "I just get the tickets. The celebrities...(the Knicks) give us the tickets. I don't think I could afford the Knicks season ticket, front row.
"I think it's just because I've been coming for so long. They feel I'm a loyal fan. Our family's been coming forever, so I'm lucky enough to get that."
The actor continued and said that he believed he had been attending games since approximately 1974. He showed up with his father, the late Jerry Stiller, before turning 10 and watched the Knicks.
He has continued to attend games over the decades while riding through the good times and bad alike. This includes during the NBA Playoffs as the Knicks went on a massive winning streak to secure their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1998-99. Now, the Knicks (3-1) are only one game away from winning the title over the Spurs (1-3).
