Martha Stewart learned a painful lesson while watching her beloved New York Knicks lose to the Indiana Pacers in May – never wear open-toe shoes while sitting courtside.
The 84-year-old walked away with more than just disappointment over her team's loss; she also left with a broken toe.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Martha warned about the dangers of her chosen footwear after she had an unfortunate run-in with one NBA player.
"See those open-toe shoes? Never ever wear open-toe shoes to a game like that when you're sitting on the floor," she told host Jimmy Fallon after he showed the audience a photo of her courtside look.
After piquing Jimmy's interest, Martha recalled how Knicks' point guard, Jalen Brunson, left her with what she called a "Brunson fracture."
"He stepped on my big toe… he broke my toe," Martha revealed. "It was like in the last five minutes of the game with the Pacers, and they went into overtime, which made it even more painful because I couldn't get up and leave to take care of my toe."
Martha admitted that she knew her toe was broken "immediately" after the incident, describing how Jalen crashed into her during the tense game.
"He comes crashing down, sits on my lap, and I grabbed his arm, and his arm was like icy cold. I thought, 'He's a basketball player. He should be sweaty.' He wasn't sweaty at all. He was cool as a cucumber," she recalled.
Martha said the only quick words exchanged between the pair were, "It's okay," because Jalen didn't know "he broke my foot."
She even admitted she was surprised he was able to cause such damage because he's "not even big" at around 6'2, but noted that he does "have big feet" and came "crashing downward" on her.
Tattletale
While Martha may not have called the 29-year-old out, she did retaliate by telling his parents, and they had a surprising reaction: "They were laughing. They thought it was so funny."
As for compensation for her injury, Martha said the only thing she got out of it was a signed basketball for her grandchild.
The clip from the interview was shared on social media, and fans loved Martha's retelling, with one commenting: "I love that she told his parents. Good adulting by getting a grown man in trouble for breaking your toe. We love to see it from Martha Stewart."
A second said: "I hope he knows what an honor it was to break Martha Stewart's foot!" A third added: "She has the best disposition & such a great sense of humor!"
Martha is an avid Knicks fan, and a broken toe will no doubt not stop her from attending future games.
She's not the only member of her family rooting for the Knicks, either. In 2024, she sat courtside with her grandson, Truman, to watch the team's game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.