You would have thought New York Giants' first-round pick, Abdul Carter, had been a New Yorker for life, but he has only been here for two weeks. The G-Men took Carter with the third overall pick out of Penn State. He's originally from Philadelphia and attended La Salle College High School, which unfortunately made him an Eagles fan.
The Eagles live rent-free in many Giants fans' heads after signing star running back Saquon Barkley last offseason away from Big Blue and going on to win the Super Bowl over the Kansas City Chiefs. Like Carter, Barkley was also taken by the Giants with their first-round pick out of Penn State and grew up in Bethlehem, Pennslyvania, attending Whitehall High School.
The similarities between Carter and Saquon have some Giants fans worried about Abdul's long-term future in New York when his rookie contract expires. New York fans don't want to see another first-round pick and fan favorite leave in free agency for a divisional rival, especially another player going to the Eagles after growing up a massive Philly fan. Unlike Barkley, however, that may not be as worrisome with Carter.
"I'm all New York," Carter told the media after being drafted by the Giants. "Philly is going to have to be left behind. I'm all New York. Go Big Blue."
Not only has Carter made it clear he is leaving his Eagles fandom behind and embracing being a Giant, but he has also taken the time to unfollow the Eagles on Instagram and follow the Giants' official account.
Giants' first-round pick Abdul Carter is hopping on the Knicks bandwagon
Not only will Carter be repping Giants blue on Sunday, but it appears he's hopping on the bandwagon for New York's other teams, including the Knicks, who gained a new fan during their playoff victory over the Boston Celtics.
Carter attended the Knicks' first-round Game 5 loss against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden on April 29th. He posted on his Instagram story and was shown on the jumbotron during a stoppage of play, getting the fans hyped.
Carter might enjoy catching a game at MSG (and really, who wouldn’t?), but his Knicks fandom feels solidified—especially after his reaction to their playoff run.
Carter certainly had his eyes on the Knicks’ Game 1 overtime win over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. After the clock hit triple zeroes, he posted on X, expressing his excitement and telling Giants fans he might officially be becoming a Knicks fan:
The Knicks return to MSG on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for Game 3 against the Celtics, and a sold-out crowd feels inevitable after last night’s thriller in Boston. Could we see Carter courtside, sitting next to Knicks superfans like Spike Lee and Ben Stiller?