50 Cent is never one to shy away from controversy, but this time, it’s not about a diss track or a business move but basketball loyalty. The Queens-raised rap icon is taking some severe heat for supporting the Indiana Pacers over his hometown New York Knicks as the 2025 NBA Finals games heat up.
The firestorm began when 50 posted a video to Instagram of some rowdy Knicks fans beating down a Pacers fan outside Madison Square Garden. The clip then segued to a video of the Pacers taking apart the Knicks, with a little extra polish on Tyrese Haliburton, the rising star. Next to the video, 50 penned:
“@tyresehaliburton said, “Let me tell all the New Yorkers they are welcome to be his fans and keep watching the finals. I’m just relaying a message.”
The comment section went into roast mode, with followers calling Fif a full-on traitor. “50 gotta be the most unloyal person ever,” one user snapped. And someone else added, “YOU & YOUR NEW BFF WHITEBONE, WE GOOD.” Damn, FIF, you were just making us feel the NY love, and now you are playing with our love for you. One fan expressed the sentiment with, “Smh! You’re kicking NY when it’s down after the loss? Damn Sellout!”
Some went too far, entering into the realm of brutal jabs. “I see why 50 got shot 9 times,” one commenter wrote about the rapper’s near-fatal 2000 shooting, which serves as evidence that, even in the realm of online banter, it’s dark as hell out there.
But this wasn’t exactly support for Indiana out of the blue. The 50s have been campaigning for Haliburton and the Pacers on social media. Just a week ago, he shared a video of Haliburtomeansaying in a 50 Cent T-shirt, exclaiming, “My man said he means business. Everybody betta be on 10; it’s lit.” And it’s important to note that Fif was sitting courtside at Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Indianapolis wearing a “Free Diddy” shirt to fuel the fire.
On the subject of Diddy, 50 shamelessly trolled his longtime rival. He also tweeted over the weekend about plotting a meeting with Donald Trump to discuss his concerns about a Diddy pardon. He wrote, “Donald does not suffer well the disrespect of which he is the object and does not forget those who choose to walk on the wrong side of him.” Whether it’s a political play or just more celebrity chess,50’s keeping receipts and grudges.
In the end, Fif’s loyalty may have more to do with headlines than hometowns. Whether trolling the opposition, calling out rivals, or supporting an out-of-town underdog, 50 Cent still plays by his own rules. Knicks fans may not like that, but when you’re 50, it seems loyalty is subject to negotiation, and going viral is the real victory.
0 Comments