Prince Harry's Unexpected NBA Appearance Raises Eyebrows
Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at Saturday evening’s NBA Finals game in San Antonio, Texas, where the Knicks and the Spurs faced off for the fifth time.
He was caught on camera entering the game solo, dressed casually in a navy polo shirt and navy pants, topped off with a ball cap.
The Duke of Sussex was not with his wife, Meghan Markle. He went to the game with JP Lane — a US Army veteran and Purple Heart Warrior Games athlete, who will be competing in his first Invictus Games next year in Birmingham in the United Kingdom.
Page Six understands he was in San Antonio for the Warrior Games and was invited to attend the matchup by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. He sat a few rows from the court with Silver to enjoy the game.
Harry and Markle — who have famously fallen out with the royal family and quit their duties as working royal family members in 2020 — were absent from Saturday’s royal Trooping the Colour in London. Trooping the Colour marks the birthday of King Charles III — though his birthdate is actually Nov. 14 — and is celebrated for its iconic Buckingham Palace balcony appearance from royal family members.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, is just the latest in a long list of celebrities to attend the best of 7 series. Knicks megafans including Mariska Hargitay, Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner and Michael J Fox have been spotted cheering on their team from the sidelines as the showdown continues to heat up.
Taylor Swift made a conspicuous appearance at Game 4 on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, where she wore matching custom punny blue and orange Knicks-themed shirts alongside Hargitay, and Este and Alana Haim.
Wednesday’s game turned out to be a historic match, with the Knicks coming from behind with a narrow comeback win of 107 to 106 — a victory Hargitay later said was more thrilling than her wedding night with Peter Hermann.
The Duke of Sussex’s surprise visit to the most highly anticipated NBA game of the year comes amid a busy summer.
He celebrated his eighth anniversary with wife Meghan Markle in May with a sweet sculpture of two penguins nuzzling each other in honor of their lifelong commitment.
In July, the father of two is expected to head to the U.K. to promote his upcoming 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham.
Sources recently told Page Six that he won’t be seeing his brother, Prince William — though he’s said to be “desperate” to bring children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, to visit their grandfather King Charles.
The insiders stressed that “no firm plans have been made” and that Harry is focused first and foremost on the Invictus event.
