“I got two. I would trade the honorary one and keep the one for screenwriting for ‘BlacKkKlansman,'” Lee said in an interview with CNN<\/a> published on Thursday. “Trade that in a second.”<\/p>\n The filmmaker also hinted he’d be willing to pass on one more movie with longtime collaborator Denzel Washington<\/a> if it meant a Knicks championship. They have worked together on five films over more than two decades.<\/p>\n “Well, Denzel said publicly<\/a> like he only has two more films and he’s done,” Lee said.<\/p>\n He added that the actor probably wouldn’t take issue with his choice: “But Denzel understands why, he said already he’s retiring.”<\/p>\n Lee, a lifelong Knicks fan, at a game between the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden in 1994.David E. Klutho \/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images<\/p>\n Lee also recalled bringing Knicks jerseys to the Vatican after learning Pope Leo XIV attended Villanova University, the alma mater of three current Knicks players, including captain Jalen Brunson<\/a>.<\/p>\n “I had two going to Vatican City. I gave him one, signed by me, and I gave him another for him to sign. It came back two months later, but it was signed,” Lee said.<\/p>\n A lifelong Knicks fan, Lee has been a staple at Madison Square Garden for decades.<\/p>\n During the Knicks’ current Finals run, Lee attended each of the first four games, making the trip to San Antonio for Games 1 and 2 before returning to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4.<\/p>\n Lee at Game 4 of the 1999 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.New York Daily News Archive\/NY Daily News via Getty Images<\/p>\n In a May interview with NPR<\/a>, Lee said his father began taking him to Knicks games as a child. His father’s lawyer, who held season tickets in the Garden’s yellow seats, gave him the opportunity to attend the 1970 NBA Finals.<\/p>\n “He said, ‘You go to the game.’ I was at the Willis Reed game slash Walt Frazier game, where the Knicks won their first NBA championship,” Lee said.<\/p>\n The game left such a lasting impression on Lee that he made a promise to himself. “So I said, Lord, if I ever make any money, I just want to get season tickets,” he said.<\/p>\n Lee went on to do exactly that. He has held New York Knicks season tickets since 1985, per ESPN<\/a>. In 2024, he was recognized as a SuperFan by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n The average ticket for a New York Knicks game can cost anywhere between $250 and $350, per Ticketmaster<\/a>. As of Friday, StubHub listings<\/a> for Saturday’s Game 5 ranged from about $1,400 to more than $35,000.<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider<\/a> on Yahoo.<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/4ac229c87c3b15deebd2ffbf9e009fdf.jpeg\"\/)
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