Former NBA star J.R. Smith learned the hard way that Knicks fans take their playoff victories very seriously. The 40-year-old, who spent four seasons with New York, was knocked to the ground outside Madison Square Garden after the team's dominant 137-98 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, May 4.

Smith had come to watch the Knicks take a 1-0 lead in their second-round series, but the celebration quickly turned chaotic. In a video shared by New York Basketball, dozens of ecstatic fans can be seen jumping and shouting in the streets before one fan's hand accidentally sends Smith tumbling into the crowd. He landed on top of other fans as some desperately tried to help him up, with several people heard shouting for help in the commotion.

Once back on his feet, the former NBA champion could be seen calmly telling fans, "Relax, man, relax," as the rowdiness continued around him. The account captioned the clip, "JR Smith joined the crowd outside MSG. At one point it got out of hand."

NBA fans weren't entirely surprised by the incident, chalking it up to the famously passionate—and sometimes overzealous—Knicks fanbase. "It's only Game 1," one X user wrote with a face palm emoji, while another commented, "Enough with these stupid gatherings during and after games. NYPD need to shut this down."

For Smith, who won two NBA championships with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, it's a reminder that even former players aren't safe from the electric—and occasionally chaotic—energy of New York basketball fans.