\u201cElmo causing NBA Finals drama\u201d probably wasn\u2019t on your bingo card.<\/p>\n
The famed \u201cSesame Street\u201d puppet is getting pushback from fervent New York basketball fans after wishing both the Knicks and Spurs well before Wednesday night\u2019s NBA Finals Game 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cElmo hopes both teams have fun,\u201d the Muppet wrote on X before the start of the Finals.<\/p>\n
The post has since drawn over 12 million views and over a thousand comments, mainly from irate Knicks fans stunned Elmo wasn\u2019t fully endorsing his hometown team before its first NBA Finals game since 1999.<\/p>\n
Sesame Street is canonically a New York City street \u2014 the show was originally filmed in Manhattan before moving to Queens in 1993.<\/p>\n
\u201cElmo this is the first time I\u2019m not rocking with you. You gotta root for your city man!\u201d X user @UTxJGTheDon replied in the comments.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey man, you from Sesame Street, in the middle of New York City. You better be rooting for the Knicks!\u201d another New York sports fan, @RonDeLaPena, wrote on X.<\/p>\n
Several of the comments used colourful language not appropriate for the PBS show, and others used anatomical words to describe their feelings about the post.<\/p>\n
Even with Elmo getting serious backlash, the Knicks rallied back from down 14 points in the third quarter to steal Game 1 of the Finals 105-95.<\/p>\n
In the Knicks\u2019 first Finals win in 27 years, Jalen Brunson stole the show with a game-high 30 points on 12-of-31 shooting.<\/p>\n
Brunson struggled in the first half, but hit a clutch 3 to put the Knicks up 97-95 with under two minutes remaining, and they wouldn\u2019t relinquish that lead.<\/p>\n
Karl-Anthony Towns also starred in his first NBA Finals game with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Josh Hart grabbed 15 boards and added four steals despite only having three points.<\/p>\n
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama couldn\u2019t fit his footing, shooting just 6-of-21 from the field.<\/p>\n
San Antonio aims to even the series on Saturday.<\/p>\n