Spike Lee’s Pope Leo–Signed Knicks Jersey Is a Divine Flex
Even after stealing a commanding two-game lead on the road in the NBA Finals, the more pessimistic of the New York Knicks faithful might still feel that it’ll take a hope and a prayer for the team to secure its first championship in 53 years. Thankfully, their de facto leader down on Celebrity Row, Spike Lee, came prepared: For Monday’s Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, the Oscar winner pulled up in a Knicks jersey signed by his holiness Pope Leo XIV. Lee was invited to meet the Holy Father at the Vatican last November, alongside a contingent of Hollywood stars including Cate Blanchett, Virgo Mortensen, Leslie Mann, and Kenneth Lonergan. During their audience, the pope urged his guests to “bring hope” to the masses while shining a light on “the world’s wounds.” In return, Lee gave the pontiff a number-14 Knicks jersey that read “POPE LEO” on the back, and brought along a second one for himself that the Chicago native blessed with his John Hancock. “I’m not nervous. I’m not anxious,” Lee told …
