TL;DR
- Elmo’s neutral NBA Finals post sparks backlash.
- Fans argue Elmo should support the Knicks.
- Wendy’s joins the conversation with a snarky reply.
- Elmo responds with a playful follow-up message.
- The NBA Finals are heating up this Friday.
Oh, Elmo, what have you done? The beloved red monster from “Sesame Street” is in hot water after a seemingly innocent social media post regarding the 2026 NBA Finals. The furry friend took to X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to wish both the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs well in their much-anticipated matchup. “Elmo hopes both teams have fun!” he chirped, accompanied by a video of himself sinking a basket and celebrating with his bestie, Abby Cadabby.
But hold on to your hats, because Knicks fans were NOT having it. With a team that calls New York City home, many felt Elmo should have thrown his furry support behind the Knicks. After all, a stretch of Manhattan’s West 63rd Street was renamed Sesame Street in 2019 to honor the show’s 50th anniversary. Elmo himself was there for the unveiling, so how could he not root for the home team?
“This isn’t the time for sportsmanship, Elmo. These streets ain’t sesame,” one disgruntled fan tweeted. Another user even dug up an old photo of Elmo’s blue buddy Grover posing with former Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, suggesting that Grover knows where his loyalties lie.
Even fast-food chain Wendy’s jumped into the fray, tweeting, “NOT NOW ELMO,” adding fuel to the fire of this playful controversy. Talk about a spicy take from a burger joint!
In true Elmo fashion, he didn’t back down. The next day, he followed up with a cheeky message: “KNICKS that last message! Elmo didn’t mean to SPUR you on!” Oh, Elmo, you cheeky little monster!
As the NBA Finals heat up, all eyes will be on the games airing live on ABC and streaming on the ESPN App. Game 2 between the Knicks and Spurs tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET this Friday night. Will Elmo find a way to make peace with the fans? Or will he continue to be the center of this furry fiasco? Stay tuned!
https://x.com/elmo/status/2062308349472051475
https://x.com/BLoLovesYou/status/2062353273965641928