Howard Stern Vents Black Players Ignore Him at Knicks Games

Howard Stern calls himself the “King of All Media,” but he says he never gets the royal treatment from “Black players” at NBA games.

The SiriusXM host brought up the issue this week on The Howard Stern Show and vented about being ignored when he sits courtside at Knicks games.

“The Knicks have been very kind to me. They put me right in the front row. That’s when I knew I was famous,” Stern said via Mediaite. “When I, you know, I have courtside [seats], they put me courtside and the Black players won’t come over and say hello to me, but they go over to Spike Lee.”

Stern has worked in radio since the 1970s and served as a judge on America’s Got Talent. But he said he gets zero respect from NBA stars.

Stern’s longtime co-host Robin Quivers, who is Black, sounded surprised by his comments.

“They don’t acknowledge you at all?” Quivers asked.

“No,” Stern replied. “I’ll be sitting next to Tracy Morgan or Chris Rock. You know, they seat you where they seat you. And a lot of times when I’m there, I’m next to Tracy Morgan, who is so funny. And he’s sitting there and like, a couple of the players will come over. They like give him that bro shake and stuff. And I’m like — these guys should hug me too. I mean, what am I? I grew up in a Black neighborhood, you know what I mean? I mean they should know that. But I get ignored.”

Quivers, 70, asked Stern if he thinks it has something to do with the fact that he’s White.

“You think it’s a racial thing? I’m sure they talk to some White people,” Quivers said.

“No, not that I saw. I want them to. I want them to talk to me,” Stern replied. “I want them to come up and go, ‘Hey Howard, fan of the show or something.’ I don’t get that. And, you know who comes up to me sometimes — the referees. White guys and Black guys, they’ll come up to me, White referees and Black. Like, ‘Hey Howard, hey.’”

But Stern, 69, said he really wants a shout-out from the players.

“Yeah, maybe they don’t like me. I don’t know,” the radio host said. “I’d like to think it’s a White thing, not my personality. I hope it’s racial. That’s all.”