Alana wore “Knickleback,” while Swift opted for “Stevie Knicks.”

Alana Haim reveals what Taylor Swift texted her to make their punny Knicks shirts

Alana wore "Knickleback," while Swift opted for "Stevie Knicks."

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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June 12, 2026 12:52 p.m. ET

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Alana Haim, Taylor Swift and Este Haim in New York in June 2026. Credit:

Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty

- Alana Haim was thrilled when longtime friend Taylor Swift asked her to make shirts for the Spurs-Knicks NBA Finals game on Wednesday evening.

- "I’ve been so obsessed with merch forever," she told *Vogue *about her hobby.

- Her personalized shirts were a big hit among fans, including Mariska Hargitay.

Alana Haim is revealing exactly how her iconic New York Knicks shirts came to be.

The Haim singer, who also makes her own merch, revealed what she and mastermind Taylor Swift planned ahead of the NBA Finals Game 4 where they and sister Este Haim sat courtside in coordinated blue shirts with orange lettering. Swift rocked a "Stevie Knicks" tee, while Alana wore "Knickleback" and Este chose a "Knickole Kidman" top.

"I got a text from Taylor that was really the text that you want to get as an amateur screen printer," Alana, who has been "so obsessed with merch forever," told *Vogue*. "She said, 'I want to wear this shirt to the game, can you make it for me?' and I was like, 'I thought you would never ask, this is my dream.'"

Alana Haim, Taylor Swift and Este Haim in New York in June 2026.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty

"Whenever I start out a session with a friend, I go: 'Let’s talk about fonts, let’s talk about sizing,' and [Swift] came up with Stevie Knicks.

"We were kind of going back and forth with these puns; we really just wanted to have fun, because we were so excited that we were going to the game, and I thought it would make people laugh, so we put them on shirts and all decided to wear them," Alana added.

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Also wearing one of her custom shirts courtside was Mariska Hargitay, who "sprinted" from her Wednesday evening performance of *Every Brilliant Thing** *to Madison Square Garden for Game 4.

Alana said she "always brings extras," and Swift wanted to give them to friends. "Mariska was so down; she’s such an amazing human being, and I’m such a big fan of her, so the fact that she also wanted to wear one of my shirts was insane. It really bonded us all together."

"I’ve never hugged someone more than at that game. It was such an incredible game, so I was really happy that we had brought extras," concluded Alana.

Also sitting courtside at the NBA Finals Game 4 were Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, and other celebrities.

Taylor Swift in New York in June 2026.

Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty

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The Knicks will face off against the Spurs in San Antonio on Saturday night for Game 5.

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