Austin Rivers encourages Dua Lipa to date NBA player to get the same as Taylor Swift

For years, celebrity sightings at Madison Square Garden have been part of the spectacle, especially during the playoffs.

From Spike Lee's die-hard Knicks fandom since 1985 to Jack Nicholson's long-standing Lakers presence on the West Coast, stars and basketball have long shared the same stage. But this postseason, the dynamic feels amplified.

Comments like "We follow NBA for the action not for the actors" have flooded social media, particularly under X posts during Knicks games.

The pushback reflects a familiar narrative, one that echoed throughout the 2023/24 NFL season when Taylor Swift became a fixture at Kansas City Chiefs games due to her relationship with Travis Kelce. That pushback, however, didn't stop Swift from making a monumental impact.

And according to former NBA player Austin Rivers, that's exactly the kind of attention the NBA could use.

Rivers defends celebrity fans

On his Off Guard podcast, Rivers weighed in on the backlash celebrities have received for showing up at high-profile NBA matchups, particularly at Knicks games. Rather than dismiss the growing attention, Rivers welcomed it.

"Bro, listen. These are the same people who got mad like when Taylor Swift was bringing all this attention to football. It's never a bad thing. Football had its highest ratings ever," Rivers said, firmly defending the pop culture infusion.

Indeed, Swift's relationship with Kelce transformed NFL viewership. Although she received criticism from die-hard football fans and even boos at the Super Bowl, her presence brought an undeniable surge in female viewers and broader cultural engagement.

By February 2025, data confirmed that the NFL had its largest-ever female audience for the Super Bowl, with 49 percent of viewers-an estimated 58.8 million-being women. There was also a 10 percent increase in the 18-34 age group. Even Travis Kelce's social media saw explosive growth, jumping from 2.7 million to 6.7 million followers.

The NFL's TikTok audience saw over 50 percent new female followers in 2024. Experts have credited Swift with adding over $1 billion in brand value to the league.

This success hasn't gone unnoticed by other leagues, particularly the NBA, which is always looking for new ways to grow its audience. Rivers proposed a very specific solution.

"I'm waiting for like Dua Lipa to just like just marry an NBA player so we can just get even more traction this way," Rivers quipped on his podcast.

While the suggestion may have come off as a joke, it highlights a genuine desire to elevate the league's profile through broader cultural relevance. And Dua Lipa is not a far-fetched candidate.

With 87.5 million Instagram followers, an $89.3 million-generating tour, and status as a global icon, she already holds significant sway over younger demographics. She even attended a Knicks game in March 2023 with producer Mark Ronson and actress Grace Gummer.