Ben Stiller confirmed during an interview at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, before Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, that he is archiving the footage he shoots while courtside at New York Knicks games — possibly for what has been rumored to be an upcoming documentary about the team.
The actor and filmmaker has been seen at celebrity row for all four postseason games between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, filming the action on his iPhone. Some of his social media posts have gone viral, including a recent clip of the final moment of Game 4 featuring pop superstar Taylor Swift. It was shot in vivid black-and-white, a common aesthetic for documentaries.
While being interviewed on ESPN’s NBA Tip-Off by Kenny Smith, the Severance creator was asked about the footage and whether he was archiving it. Stiller responded — but not before Smith was admonished by Shaquille O’Neal, who was also part of the pregame panel and let Smith know that the lifelong Knicks fan had not yet announced his project. “Thank you, my PR person, Shaq,” Stiller quipped before explaining his courtside camerawork.
“There’s a project in the works,” Stiller told the group. “But look, I’d be doing it anyway — but it is part of a bigger project. [The access] is insane. To be able to have that point of view. It’s fun to be able to share it with people.”
Rumors that Stiller has been shooting footage for an HBO documentary about the franchise’s 2026 season have been swirling. While he confirmed a project is in the works, he stopped short of saying it is a documentary for the premium cable giant. The director is no stranger to the documentary format, serving as executive producer on the HBO bowling documentary Born to Bowl and directing Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost, an Apple TV documentary about his parents.
The Knicks hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series after Wednesday’s game, in which they overcame a 29-point halftime deficit to mount the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history — capped by OG Anunoby tipping in Jalen Brunson’s missed three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining for a 107–106 win. The historic comeback has added an additional layer of drama to what has already been a celebrity-studded Finals.
The front row of Wednesday’s game featured a number of celebrities courtside and in the stands that nearly rivaled the Met Ball last month. In addition to Stiller, attendees included director Spike Lee, Larry David, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld, David Zaslav, Timothée Chalamet, Mariska Hargitay, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, John McEnroe and Tracy Morgan. See The Hollywood Reporter’s full list here.
