Travis Kelce Addresses Viral Knicks Game Beer Chug and Sleeping Rumors During Date Night with Taylor Swift

After receiving some lighthearted flak for his enthusiastic beer chug while sitting courtside with Taylor Swift at the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce officially addressed the moment on the May 27 episode of New Heights.

During the episode, Travis and his brother and cohost, Jason Kelce, revisited the viral footage from the Knicks-Cavaliers game. While Jason playfully teased his younger brother for his “lack of decorum” while being featured on the Rocket Arena jumbotron, Travis defended his actions with conviction: “It was a sophisticated chug, Jason.”

“I didn’t spill a drop, and I didn’t crush the can,” the Grotesquerie actor explained. “We were sitting courtside—it could have easily turned into a disaster. I just wanted to energize the crowd. We were trailing by 10 points; I was trying to inject some life into the building.”

The clip of the tight end downing a Garage Beer in one go while a laughing Taylor Swift looked on sparked a polarized reaction online. While many fans cheered his high-spirited approach, a vocal minority labeled the behavior as “frat-boyish.”

Despite the chatter, Travis insisted the evening was a genuine success, even if his home-state Cavaliers ultimately fell to the Knicks. “Sharing my roots with Tay is something I truly cherish,” he shared. “This wasn’t about trying to convert her into a die-hard Cleveland fan; it was just a fantastic date night. I love bringing her into the world of professional sports that I’m so passionate about.”

Addressing the widely circulated photos of him appearing to doze off during the fourth quarter, Travis chuckled, clarifying he was merely reacting to the gameplay. “The Knicks simply couldn’t miss a single shot in the final stretch,” he said. “I was just sitting there in utter disbelief, thinking, ‘Seriously?’”

He also touched on the playful jabs from Knicks supporters regarding old photos of Swift sporting New York team gear. “Not many teams can claim they’ve had Taylor wear their jersey,” he joked. “It’s hilarious. She has deep ties to New York, so when the matchup was announced, she was already familiar with them.”

You can catch the full recap of their basketball date night in the clip below.