Reddit User Presents Theory About How Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Could Be an NBA Playoff Curse

Nuggets fans may have some “Bad Blood” with Taylor Swift if Denver loses the NBA Finals.

Well—at least according to a viral Reddit theory that has made Swift an “Anti-Hero” to some Celtics, 76ers and Hawks faithful. According to Reddit user Matt Moses, Swift’s tour stops in the U.S. leg of her “The Eras Tour” coincide too eerily with some NBA team’s playoff losses. 

The theory can be (loosely) traced back to Arizona where Swift opened her tour in March with a pair of shows at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Nearly two months later, the Suns were eliminated at home by the Nuggets. The Lakers and Warriors were casualties too, losing in the Western Conference finals and semifinals, respectively, some two months before she steps foot in California.

Perhaps, “Dear Reader,” you may be thinking the theory is a “Hoax” considering the loose connections in the West—but things get weird in the Eastern Conference playoff field. A day after the Hawks were bounced from their first-round series on April 27, Swift began a run of three shows at Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium. Later, with the 76ers and the Celtics tied 3–3 in the semifinals, Philadelphia fell to Boston at TD Garden. And who had played her first Philly show just two days before the loss?

That’s right: Taylor Swift. 

Swift played three shows in the City of Brotherly Love, including her last on the same night the Celtics beat the 76ers for an Eastern Conference finals berth. (She, however, did confirm that the lyrics “with my Eagles t-shirt hanging from the door” was about the NFL’s Eagles, a big win for Philly Swifties). And don’t worry 76ers and Hawks fans, Boston got their “Karma.”

During Swift’s three-show stop at Gillette Stadium from May 19 to 21, the Celtics lost two games and started the series down 3–0 against the Heat. Boston was eventually “exile[d]“ from the playoffs by the Miami team, something Bostonians know “All Too Well” this season (too soon, Bruins fans?). 

Where does this put the Heat and the Nuggets heading into Game 3 of the NBA Finals? The closest Swift got to South Florida was in April when she played three shows in Tampa (Miami lost its play-in game to Atlanta two days before Swift’s first Tampa show). But Swift did not schedule a single Miami show. Denver Swifties, however, will enjoy two concerts in July at Empower Field at Mile High. They may be doing so without an NBA Finals title, though.  

Are the Heat “The Lucky One[s]?” With the series tied 1–1 and heading back to Miami, the Heat could very well take a series lead. But Miami isn’t “Out Of The Woods” just yet. With Nikola Jokić leading the Nuggets in the franchise’s NBA Finals “Debut,” he could very well be “the 1” hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy.