Gutsy Knicks fan Joseph DeSimone popped the question to his girlfriend Erica Vann on the Kiss Cam in Oklahoma City as the Thunder hosted New York last Friday.
Knicks fan Joseph DeSimone proposed to his girlfriend Era Vann while on the Kiss Cam inside Paycom Center
DeSimone, a native of the Lower East Side, was able to muster up the courage to get down on one knee at Paycom Center and propose to the love of his life while wearing a Knicks shirt.
“I took a chance, because I could have gotten booed on the Jumbotron when they saw my shirt,” DeSimone told the New York Post. “But the fans were cheering like the Thunder hit a 3-pointer or just made the game-winning shot. There was a lot of love, even after the proposal. People were walking past us, saying, ‘Congratulations.’”
The proposal happened at the end of the first quarter after they smooched on the Kiss Cam.
“Then I’m looking at him and a ring in the Jumbotron and was like, ‘Oh my God.’ And I kept telling him, ‘I’m going to throw up,’” Erica Vann said.
“I think I just said, ‘You gonna marry me or what?”’ Joseph DeSimone recalled.
“And then she nodded her head. In the video, I’m tapping her arm because I’m like, ‘Give me your finger.’ Cause I couldn’t stay down there for that long.”
DeSimone, Vann are both U.S. Postal Service employees in Oklahoma City
Joseph DeSimone, 37, and Erica Vann, 33, are both U.S. Postal Service employees in Oklahoma City. The couple first met in 2023 after DeSimone moved there.
According to Angela Barbuti of the New York Post, Vann “had no intentions of dating” DeSimone when a coworker suggested the Oklahoma native show him around. That changed after a little while.
“There was a booth, and I sat on the same side as her,” he recalled. “And she was a little shocked and was like, ‘Oh, I guess this is a date.’”
DeSimone reportedly bought tickets to the game months before he planned to propose.
“I wanted to see the Knicks play in Oklahoma City,” he said. “And then I just had an awakening one day and was like, ‘You know this girl is really for me. Let me see how I can propose at the game.’”
Proposal almost didn’t happen
While driving on the way to Paycom Center, DeSimone wasn’t sure if the night was the best time to propose. Not only was DeSimone speeding to get to the arena, but Vann was also getting frustrated because he couldn’t tell her why he wanted to see the game so badly.
“We were actually going to be very late and were kind of mad at each other,” she recalled.
“So I was driving fast,” DeSimone added. “She was kind of upset with me and wondering why I was so adamant about getting there.”
The only obstacle left that DeSimone hadn’t taken into account was getting his wedding ring past security and into the arena. He was nervous that someone or something would spoil the surprise.
DeSimone had muttered, “Please don’t go off,” to himself as he walked through the metal detectors.
When security stopped him, he was even more stressed.
“I thought it was for the ring, but he wanted me to take off my belt.”
In the end, everything worked out for the couple.
