A devoted fan of the English Football League (particularly Ipswich Town F.C.) the hometown team from Suffolk, where he was raised — Grammy-winning artist Ed Sheeran has long worn his love for soccer on his sleeve. But after a courtside experience with the Boston Celtics last year, it appears he's added basketball to his roster of sports passions.
Need proof? Just check out the music video for his latest song “Old Phone,” released earlier this month and filmed in Massachusetts, where Sheeran reps the Celtics in a No. 4 Jrue Holiday jersey.
The redheaded troubadour, who admitted he didn’t know much about basketball, reportedly got a quick “crash course” in the sport from fellow singer-songwriter Renee Rapp ahead of their appearance at the 2024 Boston Calling Music Festival on May 24. The night before the show, the duo hit up Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and Mavericks, with Sheeran proudly sporting a Celtics sweatshirt.
Just ahead of the game, he was spotted speaking with Holiday — who clearly made a good impression on the British hitmaker.
@yahoosports Ed Sheeran chopping it up with Jrue 🤝 #nba #bostonceltics #nbaplayoffs ♬ original sound - Yahoo Sports
On the podcast “Therapuss with Jake Shane,” he later explained, “I saw all this green around and all these sorts of Irish symbols, and I was like, well, yeah, I guess I’m a Celtics fan now.”
It’s a decision he’s fully committed to now. In March he arrived for a surprise show on St. Patrick’s day at a pub in downtown Boston, wearing — what else — but a Celtics jersey.
And speaking with NBA on ESPN ahead of Game 2, Sheeran confirmed — he’s a fan for life.
“I feel like I'm adopting the Celtics,” he said. “I don't want to be the type of person that every time I go somewhere, I support a different team. I feel like I'm Tennessee Titans, Mets baseball — and I'm Celtics basketball.”