"The owner of the fu**ing Knicks" – Kai Cenat recalls unexpected elevator meeting with New York Knicks owner James Dolan

Famous Twitch streamer Kai Cenat recently talked candidly about the moment he received tickets from New York Knicks owner James L. Dolan. When Cenat left Dolan impressed by the watch he was wearing, he received this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

This wasn’t the only time Cenat associated himself with the NBA or the players. Previously, he was spotted with Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on multiple occasions.

Kai Cenat recounted the incident in which he bumped into Dolan in a lift on a live stream recently. Neither of them knew the other at the time. However, after noticing the Plain Jane watch on his wrist, the billionaire gave the streamer lifelong tickets for the New York Knicks game. On stream, Cenat recounted:“For the craziest connection I ever got, I was going on this elevator, bro. I had a Plain Jane on, a comedy star with this guy in the elevator. He said, you don't like to watch…”He continued:"I don't know what you're doing here. I didn't know I got his number. And bro, he fu**ing put his phone number in my phone… And when he handed my phone back, he said he was the owner of the fu**ing Knicks. He didn't even know who I was…”

Cenat had previously teamed up with the NBA to help promote the 2024-25 season opener. This was not the first time Cenat had been linked to the New York Knicks.

In October 2024, the streamer was picked by the New York Knicks as the 2025 NBA Draft’s first overall pick. He was also seen with Adam Silver at the same time.As part of the league's expanding creator program, Cenat received an invitation to the game. During the event, he was spotted standing shoulder to shoulder with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during the Celtics’ ring ceremony.

From Knicks lifetime tickets to NBA partnerships: Kai Cenat’s growing league presence

Kai Cenat's most recent Twitch stream featured a brief appearance by Chet Holmgren. Additionally, he hosted the 2025 Little Basketball Association (LBA) tournament, where Holmgren was present.

Holmgren met Cenat to offer some words of support. In addition, he gave the streamer a pair of SHAI 001 shoes. Later, they spoke with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over FaceTime. For Kai Cenat's LBA title game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had Holmgren bring him a pair of the “Masi Blue” Converse SHAI 001s. Cenat also took home the MVP title.

Moreover, Kai Cenat caused a stir a few months ago when the 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed his jersey for him.

Cenat and his fiancée made an appearance courtside. Later, he praised the Oklahoma City Thunder players for their comeback performance.The MVP was seen wearing casual clothing in a now-viral video as he signed Cenat's jersey. He was wearing a graphic t-shirt and a big green fuzzy hat. The two spoke to each other and had a brief moment of joy. After the victory, Cenat was in a good mood and praised the Thunder players' performance.Also read: “He’s more like LeBron” — Charles Barkley likens Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to LeBron James over Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan