Jimmy Kimmel mocks Larry David over slave-owning relatives

Larry David appeared on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to promote his HBO comedy series and briefly relived his courtside day as the Knicks won their first NBA title in 53 years. Later, Henry Louis Gates Jr. joined the show after discussing “Finding Your Roots,” where D

On Thursday night, Larry David stepped onto the set of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with two threads in play: a new HBO comedy series and a real-time slice of American sports history.

He came to promote “Life. Larry. and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. ” his sketch-comedy show honoring America’s 250th birthday by skewering events from its history—and premiering June 26 on HBO. The timing wasn’t subtle. The same day. around two million New York Knicks fans filled Manhattan for a euphoric ticker-tape parade celebrating the team winning its first NBA title in 53 years.

David didn’t just watch from afar. He was courtside during the Knicks’ miraculous Game 4 win against the Spurs. when they battled back from 29 points down to grab victory with 1.2 seconds left. OG Anunoby delivered the tip-in that sealed it, completing what’s described as the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. When Kimmel brought up the game. David added a reminder from his own show of how easily he can make a moment into material—“(Fortunately. David didn’t manage to trip any Knicks players that night like he did Shaq.)”.

Kimmel asked David about his enthusiasm at the “fateful Knicks game,” and David went long, as he often does—mixing spectacle with strain.

“It’s funny: at a game like that. that’s the only time I can really feel like a human being because I’m doing what other people are doing. And usually. I’m outside of what other people are doing because I can’t stand doing what people do. ” he said. Then he turned the energy into something closer to exhaustion: “But I have to tell you something… so stressful. So stressful. That game took years off my life. The whole Playoffs took years off my life.”.

Kimmel followed with a sharper question. “Do you trash-talk the players from the other team?”

David’s answer veered into his own brand of psychological theater. He described trying to psych out Spurs star Victor Wembanyama by making eye contact from the bench. right by the Spurs’ bench. “I was right on the bench — I was right by the Spurs’ bench — so I look at the players and I’m trying to make eye contact. hoping that they’ll maybe recognize me from TV. ” he said. In his imagined scenario. Wembanyama would recognize him. and David would immediately pivot his loyalties: “I’ll go. ‘Hey. Wemby’s looking at me. ’ and Wemby goes. ‘Hey. Larry David!. I really like your show!’ That’s it — I’m rooting for the Spurs. That’s it. That’s all it takes!. One Spur recognizes me and I’m switching over immediately.”.

“Thankfully, no Spurs recognized him.”

The conversation shifted again later in the program when Kimmel welcomed Henry Louis Gates Jr. onto the show. Gates and David have a shared history: David was one of the more memorable guests on Gates’ “Finding Your Roots.”

When Gates discussed what David learned on that show, the revelation landed like a scene you can’t un-hear. David found out that his great-great-grandfather owned slaves. He reacted on-air with disbelief and emphasis—“Oh, you did it! You did it! I knew it! I knew it! Unbelievable! Boy. Boy oh boy.”

Kimmel then asked Gates—David seated next to him—whether anyone had “ever been that excited and enthusiastic about finding out that their great-great-grandfather was a slaveowner.”

Gates’ response reframed the emotional moment in history and identity. “He thought he was safe. you see. because he was descended from a Jewish immigrant… There was a movement in the 1850s of Jews from Bavaria who went to the South. and his great-great-grandfather. whose name was Henry Bernstein. migrated from Bavaria to Mobile. Alabama. he joined the Confederacy. and he owned two slaves.”.

Gates added that Kimmel also had relatives from Germany. Kimmel pounced on that detail with a joke aimed at the contrast he wanted to draw. “But, just for the record: My family never had any slaves, whereas Larry’s family were slaveowners.”

David’s reply came quickly, with a smile that didn’t hide the bite. “Oh, I guess that makes you better than me, right?”

Larry David Jimmy Kimmel “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Henry Louis Gates Jr. Finding Your Roots HBO Life Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness New York Knicks Spurs OG Anunoby Victor Wembanyama NBA Finals comeback June 26