The “beef” between Jerry “Mr. Bing Bong” O'Connell and Barstool's Dave Portnoy as the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics has paused amid the NBA Playoffs — at least for now.
O'Connell posted on X, formerly Twitter, to announce that Mr. Bing Bong will be taking a sabbatical until the series is over. He posted a picture of the hat he wore when talking about being “Bing Bonged.”
“Out of respect for [Dave Portnoy,] [Hank Lockwood,] [Celtics,] and especially [Jayson Tatum,] Mr. Bing Bong will be taking a break for the remainder of this series,” O'Connell wrote on X. “Appreciate all you ALL do. bing bong.”
Out of respect for @stoolpresidente @hen_ease @celtics and especially @jaytatum0 Mr. Bing Bong will be taking a break for the remainder of this series. Appreciate all you ALL do. bing bong. pic.twitter.com/CSoAPdBITB
— Jerry O'Connell (@MrJerryOC) May 13, 2025
Luckily, if the Knicks win their next game, he won't have to wait long to un-retire the character. They are currently up 3-1 on the Celtics as the series heads back to Boston for Game 5.
The Knicks escaped Game 4 with an eight-point win over the Celtics at Madison Square Garden. They were led by Jalen Brunson, who scored 39 points. Mikal Bridges had another four steals after sealing the first two games of the series with steals. He also had 23 points, which was tied for the second-most on the team with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Knicks fan Jerry O'Connell and Celtics fan Dave Portnoy's beef, explained
The feud between O'Connell and Portnoy originates from a recent interaction between the Stand by Me actor and Portnoy. During an appearance on one of Barstool's podcasts, O'Connell recalled the event.
“Your boss, Dave Portnoy, immediately, the Celtics lose, he goes [onto] his phone, and I was like, ‘I've gotta go Bing Bong on this guy. It felt so good. I wouldn't be a real Knicks fan if I hadn't Bing Bonged the f**k out of Dave Portnoy — it felt so good.”
A video played over the conversation. It showed O'Connell approach Portnoy, hugging him before Bing Bonging him. However, it now appears their beef is paused until further notice.
O'Connell is an actor who first gained notoriety for his role in My Secret Identity. He would continue growing his profile with roles in Stand by Me, Joe's Apartment, Jerry Maguire, and Scream 2. Additionally, he had a leading role in the series Sliders.
In the years since, he has appeared in Veronica Mars, The Lego Batman Movie, and The Donor Party. He's also had roles in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Big Brother.