Spike Lee caused many NBA fans to a double-take Wednesday when he made a sudden appearance on screen after Cole Anthony was selected 15th overall by the Orlando Magic. The prolific filmmaker and notable Knicks fan was seen jumping for joy out of the right side of the screen after Anthony's named was called.
The connection appears to be with Anthony's father, Greg Anthony, a guard for the New York Knicks in the 1990s, an era where Lee became the most famous Knicks fan in the country. Given the degree of celebration, you could have very easily gotten the impression that a direct member of Lee's family was chosen to play in the NBA.
Spike Lee's reaction to Cole Anthony getting drafted by the Magic is priceless 😅 pic.twitter.com/e18TDhg5Wi
— ESPN (@espn) November 19, 2020
Greg Anthony's tenure with the Knicks include some of the best seasons in the franchise's history over the last couple decades. This includes an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1993, and an NBA Finals appearance in 1994. It was also an era where Lee had some of his most famous movies come out, including Malcolm X, so it's certainly a time period the director remembers fondly and well.
Cole Anthony left the University of North Carolina after one season and was a projected top pick at the time of his arrival. However, a mediocre season from the Tar Heels and a torn meniscus in December dropped his draft stock. How he rebounds from both bouts of adversity will determine just how well this pick pans out.
