Accusations of Art Theft Erupt After Knicks Title Celebration

After the New York Knicks won their first NBA title in over 50 years, the team's social media shared a watercolor painting by emerging Brooklyn artist Gavin Snider, depicting fans celebrating outside Madison Square Garden. Hours later, popular TikTok artist Devon Rodriguez posted a strikingly similar painting featuring the same skyline, foam finger, Knicks flag, and jersey numbers. Rodriguez, who has nearly 34 million TikTok followers, offered prints for under $100 and asked followers to comment "CHAMPS" to purchase. Snider expressed frustration, calling the overlap "obvious" and questioning why a successful artist would copy his work. Rodriguez deleted the posts and removed the prints from his shop without responding to inquiries. The Knicks did not comment. Rodriguez rose to fame by drawing subway strangers on TikTok; in 2021, he told The New York Times his sponsored content commissions ranged from $20,000 to $30,000 when he had 20 million followers. He has since interviewed celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Nicolas Cage, and Jennifer Lopez.