Howard Stern Ripped For 'Whining' Over Needing Courtside Seats at Knicks Game as 'Washed Up' Radio Host's 'Massive Ego' Sets Off Firestorm
Howard Stern refuses to sit anywhere but the front row at Knicks game.
May 16 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Howard Stern is still a huge star in his world, and he wants to be treated as one when he attends Knicks games.
The "shock jock" made it clear he's only visiting Madison Square Garden to watch New York's basketball team play if he gets to sit courtside... and fans aren't having it, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Too Famous for Second Row?
Stern is not going to the Knicks game unless he sits in the front row with his famous pals.
On his SiriusXM Radio show, the 71-year-old explained why he refuses to sit anywhere but where the big-time Hollywood stars sit.
"You can tell your place in show business by where they place you at the Knicks game. The day they put me in the second row, I quit. Because I consider myself a first-row type person," he said.
Stern continued: "I’m very aware of where they seat me, and it’s very important to me. If they said to me, ‘Look, you’re not gonna be in the first row,’ I’d turn around and leave; it would be embarrassing to me.”
Waiting For That Invite
The radio host – here with wife Beth – threatned to quit unless he gets the seats he wants at Madison Square Garden.
Stern also said don't expect him to reach out to the franchise for free tickets, because that's not exactly his vibe.
“I have tremendous interest, but I wouldn’t go. I’m very self-conscious. I wait for them to invite me,” he boasted.
Stern added: “I don’t want to take advantage, and I know everyone comes out of the woodwork for the Finals, I don’t want to be that guy. I prefer when the Knicks are dead last, then I don’t feel guilty taking the tickets because nobody wants to go.”
The radio personality, however, should also not expect to feel the love from fans, especially those who had their feathers ruffled over his courtside seats drama.
"Stern is full of himself," one person raged, as another added, "Howard has to sit with his celebrity friends that he sold out his real fans for..."
A user then called out the star's "massive ego," while one noted: "I think his ego wouldn’t fit in the garden."
Another commenter went off: "Look at me, I'm a washed-up radio dud... no celebrity wants him!"
Stern's inability to reel in big names was recently exposed, as he was accused of urging his staff members to create fake Twitter accounts in order for A-listers to visit his show, including Lady Gaga.
Faking Them Out?
The 71-year-old was previously accused of forcing employees to pretend to be fans in order to get big celebrities on his show.
"Set up a fake Twitter account, become 10 different people, I don't give a s---," Stern told his staff during a meeting referred to as Revolution 2013, according to a source.
The insider claimed the Private Parts star said, "I'm telling you, every celebrity reads their Twitter," and did all he could to make sure he was back to being relevant in the radio industry.
At the time, Stern believed "every celebrity" would start receiving "random things from" employees pretending to be fans of the show, asking notable stars questions like: "Hey, when are you gonna do The Howard Stern Show? We want you on the show."
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The alleged meeting occurred after Stern was "pissed" his audience was "forgetting about us," after years of him dominating the airwaves.
He also made it clear if his show did not find success soon and spread, employees would lose their jobs, as he also made an effort to clean up his act after becoming known for his shocking and x-rated material.
John Melendez, who worked on The Howard Stern Show from 1988 until he left in 2004, claimed Stern's plea to employees to pretend to be hardcore fans was "a scar in his career."
Stern's status has seemingly dwindled over the years.
"Howard asking people to make fake Twitter accounts is the most embarrassing thing in his career," he explained.
"Here’s a guy we all thought was about reality, here’s a guy that was supposed to be real, and now he’s telling people to make fake Twitter accounts so he can get better guests?"
"It’s an embarrassment – and I love Howard – but it’s an embarrassment. He should be ashamed to even do that," Melendez, 59, added.
