Fans react at a watch party inside Madison Square Garden for game one of the NBA Finals.
Photo: Adam Gray/Getty Images
The New York Knicks hope to continue their dream playoff run and go up 3-0 over the San Antonio Spurs at game three of the NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden, the first Finals game there since 1999. But due to the planned attendance of President Donald Trump, fans are bracing for significant disruptions to their potentially once-in-a-lifetime (and extremely pricey) experience.
Trump’s impact on the game was felt as soon as Saturday, when the Knicks issued a statement advising fans that a “strict no-bag policy” will be in effect and that there will be no on-site storage of prohibited items barred by the Secret Service that were brought to the venue. The team also encouraged fans to arrive hours in advance, making a trip to the famed Garden more reminiscent of travel to La Guardia Airport.
“Fans should expect enhanced security measures when entering Madison Square Garden, including TSA-style screening procedures. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tip-off to allow additional time for screening and entry,” the statement reads.
It’s not the first time Trump-related enhanced security screenings have messed with sports fans in New York. When Trump attended the U.S. Open Men’s Final last year, some fans were heavily delayed getting to their seats, even as the start time for the marquee face-off between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner was pushed back an additional half hour due to the increased security measures. De’Aaron Fox, point guard for the Spurs, told reporters players were advised to bring as little as possible to the arena due to the additional searches being conducted.
“I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” he said. “Obviously, we’re getting screened like it’s TSA. It’s a little inconvenient for the people that’s got to play, but it is what it is.”
The president’s presence also officially put a damper on one of the most coveted parts of the fan experience: the public watch party outside the arena. The raucous gathering at Plaza33 that happened during the first two Finals games will not go forward during Monday night’s game, with MSG and NYPD spokespeople offering dueling explanations for the shift.
A representative for Madison Square Garden said in a statement that a permit for the Plaza33 party was “denied by the City’s permitting office in consultation with the NYPD” while suggesting the closure was not related to Trump’s visit. “The White House will confirm that this is not about the President. We understand NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden,” the spokesperson said.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that there will be no watch party held outside the Garden for game three only but indicated that the move was made entirely due to Trump’s attendance. “This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4,” the statement read.
Restrictions are extending beyond the arena as well. West 30th Street to West 35th Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue was closed to both foot traffic and vehicular traffic starting at 4 p.m. “No one will be allowed inside the secure area unless you have a ticket to the game, a train ticket, are going to a business inside the area, have credentials, or have some other authorized reason to be there,” a department social-media post read. NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed during a Monday-morning briefing that the security perimeter set up outside the Garden will stay in place even if Trump leaves the game early.
A large security barrier has also been placed outside MSG:
Though festivities outside of the Garden have been called off, jubilant fans will have other options. On Monday morning, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city will be hosting a public watch party in nearby Bryant Park. The event is free to attend with a maximum capacity of 5,000, but interested fans must register online to attend starting at noon. The event joins two Knicks-hosted watch parties held at Central Park’s Wollman Rink and the Brooklyn Bowl.
Last week, Trump, who was frequently spotted courtside at Knicks games in the 1990s, confirmed that he would be in attendance for the Knicks’s game three following an invitation from Knicks and MSG owner James Dolan, a longtime friend of the president. Mamdani is also expected at the game, though he’s said he would “be in a very different section of the stadium” from Trump. The mayor revealed during an unrelated press conference Monday that he paid “nearly $1,000” for the standing room section ticket.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn native, questioned the extent of Trump’s Knicks fandom during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Monday. “I mean, does this guy even know the difference between Karl Rove and Karl-Anthony Towns? I don’t think so. He’s just injecting himself into the NBA Finals because he always has to bring the MAGA circus into town and that’s unfortunate,” he said while wearing his own Knicks cap.
While Trump will be the first president in history to attend the NBA Finals, he’ll hardly be out of place among the expected attendees. Ticket prices for the Knicks’s championship run have continued to break records with get-in prices hovering around the $3,000 range and courtside seats going into the tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But with his own seat — likely in a private box — secured, Trump did not appear put off by the exorbitant prices facing Knicks fans when asked about them by a reporter Friday. “They can watch it on television. It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television. That’s the way life goes,” he said.
