From Fan to Meme: The Journey of Evan Perlmutter

Evan Perlmutter has certainly had an unusual path. Eight years ago, he famously sold his allegiance to the New York Knicks on eBay amid widespread frustration with the team’s performance. Fast forward to now, and despite the Knicks reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, Perlmutter insists he has no regrets.

“I don’t feel bad at all,” he mentioned, reflecting on his decision and the Knicks’ recent success.

Perlmutter, a sports marketing executive from Long Island, put his lifelong fandom on the auction block in 2018. His frustration had built up over the years, especially as the once-dominant teams of the 1990s, featuring stars like Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson—whose posters adorned his childhood walls—were reduced to a laughingstock.

Feeling particularly frustrated, the 40-year-old fan blamed the team’s management, stating, “The circus… started at the top.”

In a desperate move, he penned a heartfelt 2,000-word message on eBay titled, “Enraged New York Knicks fan has had enough and is selling his fandom,” which caught the eye of Southern California YouTuber James Riedel. Riedel placed a bid of $3,450 with the stipulation that Perlmutter would now root for the Los Angeles Lakers, a request he happily accepted.

“I really made him a Lakers fan,” Riedel gleefully told a reporter, noting that he cheered Perlmutter on during the Lakers’ 2020 championship win.

Now watching his former team dominate in the playoffs, Perlmutter admits he’s faced some teasing from friends. They’ve been sending him emails, jokingly stating, “You know I want to support the Knicks, right?”

Still, he stands his ground. “It’s a misconception that the team is suddenly good,” he scoffed, suggesting their success has more to do with luck than skill. In fact, he confidently predicted, “The Knicks won’t win the Finals,” despite their current momentum.

Interestingly, a filmmaker named Bobby Friedman has created a short film, “Damn Knicks,” that loosely parallels Perlmutter’s experience but diverges in its conclusion, showcasing an alternate narrative where a devoted Knicks fan feels the joy of his team’s revival.