Ben Stiller confirmed during an interview at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night, ahead of Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals, that he is archiving footage of himself shooting in-game New York Knicks games — perhaps for what has been reported to be an upcoming documentary about the team.
The actor and director was seen in Celebrity Row at all four postseason games between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, as he filmed the event on his iPhone. Some of his posts have gone viral on social media, including a recent clip of the final moment of Game 4 featuring pop star Taylor Swift. It was shot in vivid black and white, a common color aesthetic in documentaries.
During the interview on ESPN NBA tip off By Kenny Smith, to cut The creator was asked about the footage and whether he is archiving it. The Steelers responded — but not before Shaquille O’Neal admonished Smith, who was also part of the pregame panel and told Smith the lifelong Knicks fan hadn’t declared his draft yet. “Thank you, Shaq, my PR guy,” the Steelers joked before explaining the camera work on the field.
“There is a project underway,” Stiller told the group. “But look, I’ll do it anyway, but it’s part of a bigger project. [The access] crazy. To be able to have that point of view. It’s fun to be able to share it with people.”
Rumors have circulated that Stiller was filming footage for an HBO documentary about the franchise’s 2026 season. While he confirmed that a project is in the works, he stopped short of saying it’s 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 guidance Stiller and Meara: Nothing is lostan Apple TV documentary about his parents.
The Knicks lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series after Wednesday’s game, as they overcame a 29-point first-half deficit to pull off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history — capped by OG Anunoby’s missed Jalen Brunson triple with 1.2 seconds remaining to seal the 107-106 win. The historic comeback added an extra layer of drama to what was already a celebrity-studded finals.
The front row for Wednesday’s game included a number of celebrities on the field and in the stands that nearly rivaled last month’s Met Ball. 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 Hollywood Reporter Full list here.
