nypost
During the New York Knicks' championship parade, guard Tyler Kolek was mistakenly stopped by police who thought he was a fan. His girlfriend, Lexi Sousa, recently disclosed that this embarrassing mix-up actually occurred twice.
Sousa, a mental health counselor, shared the revelation during an interview with Wag Talk on Wednesday. "Oh, I was there," she said. "It didn't happen to him once. It happened to him twice. Not a lot of people know that." She did not provide further details about the second encounter.
On June 18, the 25-year-old Kolek was running along the parade route, greeting fans while holding a Michelob Ultra. Two police officers grabbed him; one shook his head in a dismissive gesture, while the other spun him around and pointed for him to leave. Bystanders quickly intervened, informing the officers that Kolek was a member of the championship team. The officers then backed off.
Kolek later addressed the incident on X, writing, "I swear I'm on the team bro," in response to a post claiming security nearly tackled him.
Kolek did not appear in any games during the 2026 NBA Finals, where New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to secure the franchise's first title in 53 years. Last season, he averaged 4.4 points and 2.7 assists per game.
A second-round pick out of Marquette by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2024 NBA Draft, Kolek spent the 2024-25 season with the Westchester Knicks, New York's G-League affiliate. The Knicks will tip off the 2026-27 regular season on October 20 at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Key Analysis
The repeated misidentification of Kolek highlights the chaotic nature of championship celebrations, where even players can be mistaken for fans. Sousa's revelation adds a humorous twist to the Knicks' historic title run.
Originally reported by nypost.