With Trump in Attendance, Knicks Fans Warned To Arrive Hours Before Monday’s Tip-Off at Game Three of NBA Finals

With nearly three decades passed since the New York Knicks played for the title in the NBA finals, the prospect that the team could win in four games is bringing together fans of all stripes to Madison Square Garden, including President Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.Indeed, the only people who may be left out of the stadium Monday night for game three against the San Antonio Spurs will be those who can’t afford the exorbitant ticket price — or ticketholders who don’t make it through the strict security being set up ahead of the president’s arrival.Speaking to The Athletic in an interview published Sunday, Mr. Mamdani said the Knicks’ finals appearance has changed the atmosphere across America’s largest city. “This moment means everything for so many across the city,” Mr. Mamdani said. “It feels like the transformation of the world’s greatest city into the world’s greatest small town, where not only are we all thinking about the same thing, but we’re all praying for the same thing.”Mr. Mamdani will not be seated with Mr. Trump. He told reporters last week that he would be in a “very different section.” His office says that he will be purchasing his own ticket. Mr. Trump will be seated with Knicks owner James Dolan, who is a longtime friend and political supporter of the president. In May, Mr. Mamdani and New York City’s public advocate, Jumaane Williams, sat together in the nosebleed seats for a playoff game. At the time, tickets were selling for about $700 in the section in which Mr. Mamdani was seated. Now, the cheapest tickets for game three are about $8,500. Knicks fans are being told to arrive at Madison Square Garden at least two hours before tip-off. Mr. Trump’s attendance is leading security officials to set up TSA-style checkpoints and enforce a strict no-bag policy.In a statement Saturday, the Knicks said that attendees should be prepared to adhere to the Secret Service security protocols that are typical for those who are in the same area as the President of the United States. “As we move closer to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, Madison Square Garden and the United States Secret Service want to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all ticket holders by sharing important security procedures that will be in place,” the team said Saturday. The front office says with a “strict no-bag policy,” “fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum.”“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 organization says. A list of prohibited items includes aerosols, large signs, balloons, and selfie sticks, among other things. A significant number of roads around the Garden and Penn Station will be closed due to Mr. Trump’s attendance. The Knicks announced that as a result of the president’s appearance, all watch parties outside of the Garden will be banned for game three, a situation that has angered several fans who can’t get inside of the arena. The New York Police Department reportedly made 26 arrests Friday night at the 6,500-strong watch party outside Madison Square Garden for game two.The Knicks management is instead throwing watch parties in Central Park and in Brooklyn. Tickets are free but registration is required.Knicks nation is particularly buoyed after back-to-back wins in San Antonio. The possibility of the team, which hasn’t been to the finals since 1999, has launched a viral Tik Tok chant aimed at unity among fans: “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish, my Christian Dior, Knicks in four.”While several politicians have announced their support for the team, with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even applying henna with the Knicks logo on her hand, the president and the mayor are the two political bigwigs who have announced their attendance. Several other celebrities, including longtime fans Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, and Timothée Chalamet, are also expected to sit courtside in what is known as celebrity row. An auction by the Knicks ending Sunday for two seats in celebrity row had a high bid of $500,000 as of early Sunday afternoon. The president says he has been a fan of the Knicks for decades. When asked on Air Force One the other day who his favorite player is, he named center Karl‑Anthony Towns and point guard Jalen Brunson, who was named Eastern Conference finals MVP after leading his team to its first NBA finals appearance this century.

With Trump in Attendance, Knicks Fans Warned To Arrive Hours Before Monday’s Tip-Off at Game Three of NBA Finals

With Trump in Attendance, Knicks Fans Warned To Arrive Hours Before Monday’s Tip-Off at Game Three of NBA Finals

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