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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers trolled his new teammate, NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, for not knowing who Jessica Alba was when they sat near the actress at Madison Square Garden during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
Rodgers, 39, and Gardner, 22, sat courtside among numerous other celebrities, including Alba, during the Knicks' 111-105 series-tying win on Tuesday (May 2) night.
"He was just picking on me a little bit for being young," Gardner told reporters on Wednesday (May 3) via the Jets' Twitter account. "You know, like, we was getting seated and he was like 'Oh, we're about to sit by' — what's her name? — 'We're about to sit by Jessica Alba.' I'm like 'Yeah, I don't know who that is' and he looked at me like I'm crazy. It was just great being able to sit over there and I got to meet her and one of her friends who was from Detroit actually.
"It was great vibes, but that whole night, he would just keep asking me out of nowhere 'Do you know who that person is?' and I'm like 'Bro, that's Amare Stoudemire, I know who that is. Now you just picking on me at this point.'"
Alba was tagged in the video shared by the Jets and NFL and provided details of her interaction with the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday (May 4).
"Lol -I totally see how this kid Sauce got his name, he said to my girl @ElizabethMxo 'How can I get caught up when I’m the catch' . But in all honesty he was actually very polite with his elder @AaronRodgers12 and everyone else in the room. It was nice meeting you @iamSauceGardner ~Honey and Storm," Alba tweeted.
Rodgers was acquired by the Jets in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers on April 24. The Packers received three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, as well as a conditional 2024 second-round pick, which will become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65% of the Jets' offensive plays in 2023, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Jets also received the Packers' first-round pick and fifth-round pick. On March 15, Rodgers publicly acknowledged his intention to play for the Jets next season, while admitting that he was favoring retirement before going on a darkness retreat.