Exclusive | Ex-Knicks fan who sold his ‘fanhood’ on eBay and became Lakers devotee insists he has no regrets

Nypost · May 30, 2026 · 395 words · By Doree Lewak

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What to know about Sports Loyalty

Eight years after an exasperated Knicks fan infamously sold his “fanhood” on eBay because the team was so bad, insists he’s not crying foul now that they’ve cruised into the NBA Finals.

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Eight years after an exasperated Knicks fan infamously sold his “fanhood” on eBay because the team was so bad, insists he’s not crying foul now that they’ve cruised into the NBA Finals.

Why it matters

“I have zero regrets,” turncoat Evan Perlmutter told The Post, after the Knicks clinched their first appearance in the championships since 1999.

Common ground

The sports marketing exec from Long Island auctioned off his lifelong loyalty to the home team in 2018.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Sports Loyalty story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that It caught the attention of a southern California YouTuber named James Riedel, who bid a cool $3,450 — on the condition that Perlmutter become a Los Angeles Lakers fan?
How does this story connect Sports Loyalty with Public Ridicule over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/sports/ex-knicks-fan-who-sold-his-fanhood-on-ebay-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 85% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 8

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Claim 1: “It caught the attention of a southern California YouTuber named James Riedel, who bid a cool $3,450 — on the condition that Perlmutter become a Los Angeles Lakers fan.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that YouTuber James Riedel bid $3,450 on the condition that Perlmutter become a Lakers fan.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Evan Perlmutter, 40, went from hoop dream to hoop meme after infamously selling his Knicks “fanhood” on eBay because the team was so bad.
https://www.aol.com/articles/ex-knicks-fan-sold-fanhood-1230…

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web search NEUTRAL — ... fan allegiances. James Riedel, a southern California YouTuber, bid $3,450 for Perlmutter's 'fanhood' on the condition that he become a Lakers fan. This ...
https://sandsug.org/article/knicks-fan-s-regret-free-switch-…

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web search NEUTRAL — Evan Perlmutter, a former Knicks fan now a Lakers fan, stands with his arms crossed in a Lakers jersey at Madison Square Garden. Perlmutter told The Post, “I have zero regrets,” after the Knicks clinc…
https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/sports/ex-knicks-fan-who-sold-…

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Claim 2: “he wrote an impassioned 2,000-word cry for help on eBay, entitled, “Infuriated New York Knicks fan has had enough, selling my fanhood.””

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the specific title of the eBay listing: 'Infuriated New York Knicks fan has had enough, selling my fanhood'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a working list of notable faculty, alumni and scholars of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, United States.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_University_of_Pennsylv…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of Harvard University alumni includes notable graduates, professors, and administrators affiliated with Harvard University. For a list of notable non-graduates of Harvard, see the list of Ha…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Harvard_University_peo…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Harlem Globetrotters are an American exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, and comedy in their entertaining style of play. Over the years, the Globetrotters have played mo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Globetrotters

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including Fox Sports and other web results, identify Perlmutter as a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 30, 2026 ... ... team was so bad. Courtesy of Evan Perlmutter ... Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee, says he's never looked back.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/sports/ex-knicks-fan-who-sold-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Evan Perlmutter, 40, went from hoop dream to hoop meme after ... Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee, says he's never looked back.
https://www.aol.com/articles/ex-knicks-fan-sold-fanhood-1230…

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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 29, 2018 ... Evan Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee, has officially sold his Knicks fandom.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/basketball/nba/nba-new-york-kni…

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Claim 4: “the Knicks clinched their first appearance in the championships since 1999”

CORROBORATED

Five independent cross-references from NY Post and CNBC confirm the Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 New York Knicks season was the 80th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On June 3, 2025, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons with…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_New_York_Knicks_season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Knickerbockers, commonly called the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Basketball …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Knicks

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 New York Knicks season was the 79th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks advanced to the 2024 NBA Cup knockout stage after winning East Group A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_New_York_Knicks_season

+ 5 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: ““The Damn Knicks,” a short film by Knick fan and filmmaker Bobby Friedman loosely based on Perlmutter’s life”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that filmmaker Bobby Friedman created a short film titled 'The Damn Knicks' loosely based on Perlmutter's life.

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web search NEUTRAL
/clev?event=StartpageResultClick&sc=1tzfoDyGcGZZ2nZngSytJleW…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 30, 2026 ... But “The Damn Knicks,” a short film by Knick fan and filmmaker Bobby Friedman loosely based on Perlmutter's life, has a different ending ...
https://nypost.com/2026/05/30/sports/ex-knicks-fan-who-sold-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5 days ago ... Bobby Friedman is a Brooklyn-based writer, filmmaker and educator. His comedy short “The Damn Knicks” was released in partnership with Knicks ...
https://brooklyneagle.com/395129/i-never-made-it-to-msg-but-…

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Claim 6: “the Lakers were unceremoniously knocked out in round 2”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (ABC7, ESPN, and other web results) confirm the Lakers were eliminated in the second round by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2026.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 11, 2026 ... The Lakers' season has come to an end with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the second-round playoff series.
https://abc7.com/post/lakers-season-ends-thunder-complete-sw…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 12, 2026 ... The Lakers refused to fold while facing elimination, but the Thunder ultimately pulled away to improve to 8-0 this postseason.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48747206/thunder-escape-…

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web search NEUTRAL — May 21, 2026 ... Having had more than a week to process the Los Angeles Lakers' second-round playoff exit against the defending champion Oklahoma City ...
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48836648/lebron-james-sa…

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Claim 7: “The sports marketing exec from Long Island auctioned off his lifelong loyalty to the home team in 2018.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm Evan Perlmutter is a sports marketing executive from Long Island who auctioned his loyalty in 2018.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Eight years after an exasperated Knicks fan infamously sold his “fanhood” on eBay”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (ESPN, NY Post, and other web results) confirm that Evan Perlmutter sold his Knicks fanhood on eBay in 2018.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.