When Timothée Chalamet isn't preparing for his next lead role on the big screen, he's probably studying ball.

To really understand the two-time Academy Award nominee's rise in the sports world, you have to go back to his early days. Chalamet, who was named to Sports Illustrated's 2025 Power List, is now a staple at Madison Square Garden and you can find him surrounding anything Knicks, a fandom that dates back long before his fame.

After he was chosen as a surprise guest picker on ESPN's College GameDay last season, he stunned fans with his elite knowledge and was the only person on the panel to correctly predict Ohio's win in the MAC championship game. His research and knowledge quickly spread across the internet, which led to an old photo showcasing his true Knicks fandom getting rediscovered.

Timothée Chalamet's Long Background As a Superfan

Back in 2010, former Knicks players Landry Fields (the former Hawks general manager) and Andy Rautins posted a call on X (formerly Twitter) that mentioned they had Knicks tickets for the first fan to find them and answer their trivia questions. A young Chalamet was that lucky fan. He found them at Grand Central and answered their questions correctly, although it's unclear what the questions were, before walking away with two Knicks tickets and one legendary photo.

"Hahaha the contest is over!! Tim Chalamet is the winner," Fields wrote on Twitter 15 years ago. "Found us at grand central. Congrats Tim! See you Friday at the game!"

Back then, Chalamet likely wanted a picture with Fields and Rautins. These days, they'd probably ask for a picture with him. The Dune star was there for every step of the Knicks' run to the Eastern Conference finals last season, which included another full-circle moment.

There's an additional famous picture of a young Chalamet getting a jersey signed by former Knicks star Amar'e Stoudemire when he was 14 years old. During this year's playoffs, he was able to pose for a photo with Stoudemire after New York's Game 4 win over the Celtics in the second round. Chalamet "tied the loop," in his own words.

The "millennial Spike Lee" had plenty of memorable moments surrounding the Knicks during their past season, which included celebrating the second-round win over the Celtics with fans outside of Madison Square Garden. Karl-Anthony Towns gifted Chalamet his game-worn jersey in January, just days after the movie star hosted Saturday Night Live.

After he played Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, he went viral for saying he'd like to play TNT analyst Ernie Johnson if he could do another biopic. The two met up during the Eastern Conference finals in Indianapolis where Chalamet reinforced his desire to play Johnson in a potential biopic. "You've made me the coolest grandpa of all time," Johnson responded with a big smile.

It wasn't the first time he professed his love for Inside the NBA show on TNT. In 2024, he called former NBA guard and then-TNT analyst Kenny Smith a style icon. As a fashion icon himself, that's some high praise.

In February, Chalamet won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for his role playing Dylan in A Complete Unknown. He poured five and a half years into perfecting the role and admitted during his acceptance speech that he should likely downplay what the award means to him and the effort it took, but he'd be lying if he did that.

"I know we're in a subjective business, but the truth is I'm really in pursuit of greatness," the actor said as he accepted the SAG award earlier this year. "I know people don't usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats. I'm inspired by the greats. I'm inspired by the greats here tonight. I'm as inspired by Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando and Viola Davis as I am by Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps, and I want to be up there."

For a sports superfan like Chalamet, the great athletes he watches are just as much inspiration to excel in his field compared to the titans of his own industry.

From celeb row at Madison Square Garden to College GameDay and everywhere in between, Chalamet's lore as a sports figure is only bound to rise. While Chalamet's impact as a sports figure lives off the court, you can't question his love for the game.

One thing's for certain: He knows ball.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI Power List: Timothée Chalamet's Rapid Rise As a Sports Figure.

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