On June 6, 2026, Jerry O'Connell sat down with The Jerusalem Post to speak out against antisemitism.
Meanwhile, in the sports podcast world, O'Connell took on a completely different persona to celebrate the New York Knicks winning the NBA title. On Pardon My Take, host Dan Katz pulled off a bait-and-switch on his co-host Hank. Katz explained that "Jerry was in town for a live show, and we told Hank that Brian Windhorst was gonna be the guest today, and then surprised Hank with Mr. Bing Bong."
The surprise worked perfectly. Katz later recapped the moment, noting that "Hank thought it was gonna be Brian Windhorst, and Mr. Bing Bong walked in, Jerry O'Connell, to talk about his Knicks." The appearance capped off a heavy tease earlier in the episode when Katz hyped up "Mr. Big Bong, Jerry O'Connell," alongside UFC highlights.
While O'Connell navigates serious discussions about antisemitism in the mainstream press, his podcast rounds show he is still more than willing to lean into pure, unadulterated sports fandom. Expect to see his Knicks-loving alter-ego popping up next time New York makes a deep playoff run.