Photo: imone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images
To be invited to the Vatican by His Holiness is an incredible honor, but to be invited to become a Knicks fan by the Pope of New York basketball is inconceivable. During his visit to the Vatican on November 15, Spike Lee eagerly gifted Pope Leo a custom Knicks jersey after his speech ended. As the audience clapped, Lee was getting his gift ready for the hand-off and took it out of the bag. Getting a custom jersey made as a gift is pretty endearing considering how much the Knicks mean to Lee. He’s the team’s no. 1 celebrity supporter, and it’s very sweet that Lee wanted to give the Pope something so near and dear to his heart — he might also be hoping that a blessed jersey will help the Knicks win next season, especially because three players on the Knicks got their start on the Villanova Wildcats, the Pope’s alma mater. Lee shared a photo from their gift exchange on Instagram, writing, “This Afternoon In Vatican City,I Presented POPE LEO With A NEW YORK KNICKS Brand Jordan Jersey. The Pontiff Graduated From VILLANOVA And So Did BRUNSON,HART And BRIDGES. ORANGE And BLUES SKIES.YA-DIG. SH🏀-NUFF.”
As our first American Pope, this isn’t the first and last time he will be presented with custom sports wear. Last week, Chicago Bulls sportscaster Chuck Swirsky visited the Vatican and also gave Pope Leo a custom Bulls jersey. As a religious leader, Pope Leo extends love to all of God’s children, including all their sports teams.
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