NBA games are constant spots for celebrity appearances. Court side seats at a basketball contest typically become a who's who of A-listers.
However, there's one celebrity that frequents hoops games that sports a goatee, spiked bleached hair and some of the best outfits around. The one, the only, Mayor of Flavortown — Guy Fieri.
The famous chef, best known for his "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" food television show on the Food Network, is a massive fan of basketball. He has been seen at numerous NBA matchups, including playoff games and All-Star events. From Boston to Phoenix to Oakland, Fieri travels all over to get to games.
But where does his NBA fandom lie? Does the Mayor of Flavortown have a team to root for, and if so, what's the reason?
Here is more information on Fieri, his background and love for basketball.
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Where is Guy Fieri from?
Fieri was born in Columbus, Ohio, however, he grew up in Ferndale, Calif., a city in Humboldt County.
While Fieri spent his early years on the West Coast, his education took him outside the United States borders. In high school, he was a foreign exchange student in France, which is what helped his love for food and the culinary industry.
Fieri attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for college, where he graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's degree in hotel management.
Where does Guy Fieri live?
Fieri may be known as the Mayor of Flavortown, but that is not where he takes up residence.
He and his family currently live in Santa Rosa, Calif. Along with Fieri's wife, Lori, the house is home to their sons, Hunter and Ryder, and their nephew, Jules. He is the son of Fieri's late sister, who died in 2011 after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
Guy Fieri basketball fandom
As a Northern California native, Fieri is a fan of the Golden State Warriors.
As a kid, he grew up idolizing the Warriors. In a 2019 interview with GQ, the world-renowned chef detailed watching his favorite team on television — if they could get the channel.
"I lived in a town, bro, that only had two channels and no cable," Fieri said to GQ's Jay Willis. "Back then, if you could get a Warriors game, man, you were there."
Fieri said that he doesn't recall attending a game in person until the 1980s — he was born in 1968 — but his passion for the team was around since he was a kid.
"You didn't grow up in Northern California without being a Warriors fan," Fieri said. "When I was in elementary school, that’s what our little intramural team was called. We had the Raiders and the Niners, and the Giants and the A's. And as a kid, every time you played basketball, you were the Warriors."
History of Guy Fieri at NBA games
Fieri is a frequent attendee at NBA games, and not just contests that feature the Warriors, either.
Over the years, the chef has been sighted at a number of basketball events and playoff matchups. He most recently was at the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals in Boston for Game 1 between the Celtics and Pacers.
Donnie Wahlberg and Guy Fieri spotted at Celtics vs. Pacers pic.twitter.com/mmLtRVkp5j
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 22, 2024
He also was in Boston in 2022, when his Warriors were taking on the Celtics in the NBA Finals. He emerged happy as a fan from that series, as Golden State knocked off Boston that year for the title.
Guy Fieri in the building ♨️ pic.twitter.com/TTh9L3uS4r
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 9, 2022
In 2021, he was at a Western Conference matchup that did not involve his beloved Golden State team. Instead, he was in Phoenix taking in a Suns vs. Nuggets contest.
This Ayton dunk had it all.
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) June 8, 2021
-Poster
-Mic on the rim extra loud
-Fans going nuts
-Guy Fieri pic.twitter.com/pd4ha67QCw
He also was spotted in Phoenix once putting shots up at the Footprint Center.
Guy Fieri out here shooting on the court postgame because of course. pic.twitter.com/hwDVbcaKQk
— Gina Mizell (@ginamizell) July 9, 2021
Some of Fieri's best experiences at basketball games involve his family. In the interview with GQ, he recounted two separate incidents where the Warriors treated him and his family well.
Right after his sister passed, he attended a game in Oakland with his nephew, Jules. He explained that he had a connection with the team, and brought up the possibility of a meet-and-greet with Stephen Curry for Jules, who has just lost his mother.
"At the time, I didn't really know the Warriors that well," Fieri said. "But I take Jules down there, and as a chef I had a little bit of a connection, at least, so I try asking a PR guy, 'Hey man, can my nephew get a meet-and-greet with Steph? Because my nephew' — and I told him the story.
"They made Jules the sixth man. He got announced with the team, and went out on the court with them — the whole thing. He had just gone through the most horrific thing in the world. A little boy trying to muscle through life, you know? And the Warriors went and pulled this off. I just—what can you say? What can I do, other than be a bigger fan?"
Another time, he recalls sitting courtside along with his son, Ryder, as well as rapper and fellow diehard Warriors fan E40. Curry recognized him and his son and made sure to go out of his way to see them.
"So the game's wrapping up, Steph's getting done with an interview, and Ryder's next to me and E-40," Fieri said. "And Steph sees Ryder from about 30 feet away, and he goes, 'Ryder! What's up!' He walks over, gives a little high-five, gives the kid a hug. You know, as a dad — to see Steph that grounded and that real? It's just a great group of people, man."
