Matt Damon easily ranks among the top Hollywood heavyweights. Damon landed his first breakout role in Gus Van Sant-directed 1997 American psychological drama Good Will Hunting and won an Academy Award for co-writing Best Original Screenplay. The 52-year-old star has steadily established himself as a leading man in the industry, earning several prominent awards and top-billing roles by displaying his cinematic talents in each project.
The actor is also an ardent Boston sports fanatic. He once shared a hilarious anecdote when the legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson screamed at him during Game 5 of the 2008 NBA Finals. The Oppenheimer star claimed that Mark Wahlberg was seated next to him, and they both were cheering for Celtics, and that’s when the former Lakers head Jackson snapped at them, saying, “Sit down and shut the f*ck up.”
Matt Damon Recalls the Incident When Phil Jackson Screamed At Him and Mark Wahlberg
On The Bill Simmons Podcast, Matt Damon once recalled the hilarious tale when he attended the 2008 NBA finals. The actor shared that he and his fellow actor-friend Mark Wahlberg were seated together and were cheering for the Celtics, and this didn’t go well with the former coach of the Lakers, Phil Jackson. Jackson eventually screamed at them when his team started losing the game. Damon claimed that seeing them thrilled and clapping over the Celtics’s comeback left the Zen Master frustrated. He shared:
“Ok, so this was in L.A., but the game before, we had been down like, 23 points in the third quarter, and we’d come back and won. So that game, we’re down, they’re at home, the Lakers, and we’re down 21, 22 points in the third quarter, and Paul Pierce just goes full truth mode and just goes bananas. And they had this unbelievable comeback, and Mark Wahlberg was sitting, our agent had floor seats, and Wahlberg and I asked for two each, and so the four of us were there, and we were screaming. We’re cheering on the Celtics.”
The actor continued,
“Their run was capped by, I think, Pierce kinda sliced through the lane and like laid the ball in to complete the comeback. By the time he went up to lay the ball in, Phil’s already up because he’s calling the timeout because he’s gotta stop the bleeding, and Wahlberg and I are like ‘Oh my God!’ and he calls the timeout, he just spins on us and goes, ‘Sit down and shut the f*CK up!’ He was so mad.”’
Matt Damon shared that since he and Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg were cheering for the Celtics, who subsequently won the game, which annoyed the NBA legend Phil Jackson, who screamed back at them at the time of the incident.
A Brief Note on Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg’s Hollywood Careers
Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are both incredibly talented and successful stars of Hollywood. Damon is a multi-hyphenate star who never shied away from taking on challenging roles. While Wahlberg has proved that nothing is impossible for him, as he has done significant physical transformations for several movie characters. They have been in the movie business for decades, and their films often grossed millions of dollars at the global box office, making them two of the highest-paid stars.
Both stars have earned immense fame and fortune in their respective careers in the movie business. While The Transformers movie star is busy filming the upcoming American action comedy film The Family Plan, the 52-year-old star is making headlines for his excellent performance in Christopher Nolan-directed Oppenheimer.
Source: The Bill Simmons Podcast
