One member of Celebrity Row isn’t happy with Richard Jefferson.
Actor, comedian, director and Knicks fan Ben Stiller directed some sarcasm at the former NBA player-turned-ABC analyst in the middle of Game 4 of the first-round series with the 76ers.
“Richard Jefferson claiming [Joel] Embiid doesn’t get calls, and doesn’t foul,” Stiller wrote on X during the game, a 97-92 Knicks win in Philly.
“Benjamin I love you but that’s not what I said!” Jefferson, a 17-year NBA veteran responded.
Embiid, the Sixers star center, has been at the center of Knicks fans’ ire during the series as his physical play has ramped up — he was issued a flagrant foul for grabbing Mitchell Robinson’s ankle in Game 3 — and he’s taken a playoff-high 59 free throws through four games.
He’s quickly become a bigger villain in New York for the likes of Stiller and more.
“Respect Richard. But Embiid gets SO many calls,” Stiller fired back. “And the reference was to the one foul that Batum did commit.”
He added that Embiid “grabbed Mitch’s ankle and should have been ejected.”
Robinson exited Game 3 and was sidelined for Game 4 due to an injury sustained on the play.
“I didn’t do that game but I agree with you,” Jefferson retorted, before going on to offer some feedback for Stiller.
“So you were referencing when we THOUGHT it was on Embiid but the VIDEO and REFS showed in was on Batum and we corrected it and you were bothered by that?” Jefferson wrote, adding a GIF of Stiller from “Anchorman.”
“Ps… he does get a lot of calls as reigning MVP’s often do.”
Stiller has made his voice heard before the series began, engaging with Philly’ Kelly Oubre Jr. over his charge that Madison Square Garden’s celebrity fans are gifted tickets “just to be there and not care about the game.”
“Oh I think I care a lot more than you think that you thought I cared…” he wrote, channeling his “Dodgeball” character White Goodman. “Kelly Who-bre?”
