The crowd at Los Angeles’s Dolby Theatre knew what they were getting when Shane Gillis stepped up to host the 2025 ESPYs. Within minutes of his opening monologue, the comedian had delivered one of the night’s most brutal punchlines, disguised as a celebration of New York basketball success. The target? The Knicks walked right into Gillis’ perfectly crafted setup.
How Did Shane Gillis Turn Liberty’s Championship Into a Knicks Roast?
Gillis was midway through applauding standout achievements from the year in sports when he pivoted to New York basketball. With deliberate timing and a smirk, he said:
“And the New York Liberty. New York..classy town from north-east where they invented America. Oh wait, that’s also Philadelphia. It was nice to see a basketball team from New York win something.”
Shane Gillis on the Liberty winning a chip:
“It was nice to see a basketball team from New York win something” 😭 pic.twitter.com/Xh3HPN18Xf
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) July 17, 2025
The punchline didn’t need explaining. Gillis was clearly referring to the Liberty’s historic championship run in 2024, their first WNBA title, while landing a direct hit on the Knicks, who haven’t lifted a trophy since 1973. The crowd reacted immediately with laughter, some shock, and plenty of camera pans to celebrity athletes in the audience.
Far from a mistake or slip of the tongue, the line was sharp and calculated. Gillis used the Liberty’s success not just as a celebration, but as contrast to the Knicks’ ongoing drought.
The Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a thrilling five-game 2024 WNBA Finals series last fall, with the decisive win coming in overtime. It was a defining moment for the franchise and a breakthrough for New York basketball.
Meanwhile, the Knicks didn’t have a bad season either. In fact, they made a deep run in the 2024-25 playoffs, finishing third in the East with a 51-31 record and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games. But in a city hungry for a title, close just doesn’t cut it.
Gillis’ roast worked because it flipped expectations. The punchline resonated, especially in a year when the women’s game continues to surge in popularity.
What Other Knicks Player Caught Gillis’s Attention?
Gillis didn’t stop with the franchise roast alone. Keeping the Knicks theme alive, he soon turned his attention to Karl-Anthony Towns, the team’s veteran forward. Channeling Towns’ signature internet-meme tone, Gillis greeted him from the stage:
“Karl-Anthony Towns is here. Hey girrrrl.”
The line drew a mix of laughter, groans, and clear recognition. Towns’ viral expressions like “Oh my gawd!” have long been meme material online, even among Knicks supporters. Despite being a five-time All-Star and a fan favorite, Towns has often found himself the butt of internet trolling.
These jabs were part of a broader roast that spared few in the sports world. Stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Caitlin Clark, Simone Biles, and others were also in the firing line, but it was his Knicks-Liberty line that quickly lit up social media, with the clip circulating within minutes of delivery.
For Knicks fans, it was another reminder that even in a season where they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, their lack of hardware remains a running punchline.
