Anthony Scott Knox’s birthday gift to himself each year is a new suit. 

For his most recent birthday, he splurged on a tuxedo covered in black sequins which he has worn three times: Stanford men’s basketball’s 2024 game against USC, the team’s most recent home game against Cal, and a sweaty Drake concert mosh pit. On all three occasions, Knox was dressing to impress. Would LeBron James be in attendance? Would Stanford beat Cal? Would Drake spot him? 

“I get a kick out of dressing up,” said Knox. “I have a few favorite suits that I’ve worn for what feel like the biggest games.”  

Emceeing these games, ranging from basketball to volleyball to softball, is Knox’s part-time gig. As a full-time personal trainer, Knox spends most of his time pumping up Palo Alto moms on the bench press before thinking about pumping up the crowd in Maples Pavilion. In fact, one of his fitness clients recommended him for the emcee position at Stanford.  

After a group cross-training class one morning in 2019, Haley Witt pulled Knox aside and told him that he “sounded great on the microphone” and that he should audition to be the emcee for Stanford Athletics — the place where she was the assistant director of fan experience. Without any official emcee training, Knox was initially hesitant. But, as he puts it, “there were very few job opportunities that I would have said no to” after moving across the country that year.  

When his wife matched for residency with the Stanford Hospital, Knox was all-in on moving to Palo Alto — a place he had never been before — from Chapel Hill to support her. Without any friends or job prospects in the area, he began his own personal training business which eventually led him to Tara VanDerveer court, now a place he cannot imagine living without. 

When COVID-19 shuttered the world in 2020, Stanford Athletics followed suit by prohibiting fans at their sporting events. For Knox, no fans meant no emceeing. Less than a year into his stint on the Farm, his life paused and his schedule gaped. 

“My wife told me recently that when I was stuck at home during COVID, it was the saddest she had ever seen me and it was because I wasn’t able to be around people,” said Knox. “I love the network of people at Stanford. For me, it’s my biggest community.” 

Now in 2025, Maples has bounced back from the pandemic, and is regularly brimming with fans cheering for the Cardinal. Even in his sixth year as emcee for Stanford Athletics, Knox still gets nervous. He arrives one hour early to every game, leaving himself time to pore over the team’s statistics, review his script, and, most importantly, walk up and down the hallway talking to himself.  

“I care enough to have a little bit of nervousness because I want to do well,” Knox said. 

When Knox gets in front of the camera, his face immediately lights up. Standing among the hundreds of fans in the student section, Knox sways his shoulders side-to-side for the dance cam while students dressed in cowboy hats — the free giveaway item for the Big Game — “cha cha real smooth” alongside him. He encourages the crowd to pull out their best moves, simultaneously giving shout outs to brothers of Sigma Epsilon who are popping and locking it behind him. Even when the camera pans off of Knox, he continues shimmying in the student section. He is no actor. He genuinely loves what he does. 

“I think he does a phenomenal job at getting the crowd engaged and energized throughout the game,” said Jennifer Chow, senior director of fan experience for Stanford Athletics. “His energy [is] infectious.”

All sports fans know about the importance of a home court advantage. For the Cardinal, the advantage is significant. With a combined home record of 31-7 and an away record of 5-17 this past season, the Stanford basketball programs rely heavily on their fanbase to create a rowdy environment for hooping. Knox ensures that this is the case. Whether he is sparking a “Go Stanford!” chant, commanding the crowd to get on their feet, or throwing t-shirts to the most animated fans, Knox never allows for a quiet Maples.  

“He has been doing an awesome job at getting the crowd ready for the games,” said senior forward Maxime Raynaud and leading scorer for the Cardinal. “When playing at home, the fans and the atmosphere are the biggest advantage we can have, and he is the catalyst of that.” 

After a few successful seasons with the Cardinal, Knox and his wife welcomed their daughter, which made for a busier schedule and an eruption of “aw’s” from the crowd whenever she attended games. At only six weeks old, she was leading the “Conga on the Court” in her father’s arms. Now a frequent attendee of Stanford games, she should be used to seeing her dad in the spotlight. Yet, each time he is on the big screen, she erupts in a big smile and yells “paipai,” which means Dad in Portuguese, the language they speak at home. Each time is just as exciting as the last.  

“It’s really, really cool that she gets to be there for all these games. She is taking it in,” said Knox. “Her first word was “ball” before “mãemãe” or “paipai.”

Cardinal athletics games are not her only games in attendance. Following a Warriors’ win at Chase Center, Knox brought his daughter courtside for a chance to meet Steph Curry. As soon as Curry recognized Knox due to his past attendance at the women’s basketball games to see his god sister, star center Cameron Brink, he motioned them down to the court. Immediately, Curry’s face lit up and he waved at her. The interaction later went viral on ESPN. 

With his daughter suddenly connected to the leading three-point scorer for the NBA, Knox set his eyes on a very big prize: emcee for the Warriors. When an interview was scheduled, he was ecstatic. Yet, on the day he was set to audition they told him that the position had been filled. While disappointed at first, Scott knew better than to hang his head.  

“I hope that my failures will be brooded in other successes. They pave the way for me to be able to do other things,” said Knox. 

Now, Knox has his eyes set on another position: emcee for the new Bay Area WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries. While he’s relished his time at Stanford, he would love the chance to engage with larger crowds on an even bigger stage. 

Knox’s time on the Farm has taught him that there is nothing better than living a life rooted in sports. With a job description of cheering for others, Knox realizes that there aren’t many gigs better than this.  

“I always say, ‘don’t tell them that I’d do it for free,’” said Knox, laughing. “It is so cool to be able to get into a new community and get paid to cheer for them. It couldn’t be any better.”