The New York Knicks aren’t happy with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s revised plans for a watch party outside Madison Square Garden during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and they’re demanding more answers.
Madison Square Garden Sports, the company led by James Dolan that owns the Knicks and their arena, released a statement on Wednesday, June 10 calling the watch party permit granted by Mamdani’s New York City administration “disingenuous at best” because of conditions that included not allowing more than 1,000 spectators and forcing attendees to have a ticket to enter.
“But more important is the Mayor’s plan to freeze out fans from celebrating outside Madison Square Garden,” the MSG Sports statement read, “which will turn the streets around MSG into a police state.”
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service patrol outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service patrol outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A heavy police presence is seen outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
An impersonator of U.S. President Donald Trump holds a basketball outside at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Knicks fans wait for actor and comedian Druski, for an event which was cancelled by NYPD, at Washington Square Park ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
US Secret Service agents patrol outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Police Department officers gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Secret Service agents patrol outside Madison Square Garden during Game Three of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
New York Knicks fans and New York Police Department officers gather outside Madison Square Garden ahead of the NBA Finals game 3 between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in New York on June 8, 2026.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People walk near a security fence around Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers arrive by truck to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
People walk near a security fence around Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A Secret Service sign on a security fence at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service walk the perimeter of a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Members of the U.S. Secret Service enter through a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers arrive by truck to Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
Concrete barriers are taken off a truck at Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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New York on high alert outside Garden before NBA Final
A person is interviewed by media next to a security fence outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026 in New York City. The New York City Police Department and Secret Service have cancelled a NBA Finals watch party near Madison Square Garden, with fans advised to arrive at least two hours before Monday’s game due to heightened security for U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance.
(Adam Gray, Getty Images)
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Mamdani announced via social media on Tuesday that the city had approved “a ticketed MSG watch party for Game 4.”
“As we prepare to watch together, let me be clear: this is a historic, joyful moment for our city,” Mamdani wrote on his X account. “We will not allow it to be disrupted by violence. Be safe, take care, and celebrate responsibly. Knicks in 5.”
More than two dozen people were arrested and a New York City Police Department officer was assaulted after a watch party outside of Madison Square Garden when thousands of fans celebrated the Knicks’ Game 2 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals on Friday, June 5.
The NBA Finals Game 3 watch party outside Madison Square Garden was canceled due to security protocols in place for President Donald Trump’s attendance at the game. But a Game 3 watch party hosted by New York City at nearby Bryant Park ended with at least eight people arrested, according to multiple reports.
The NYPD announced Wednesday that the same secure zone and security fencing around Madison Square Garden for Game 3 remains in place. It encouraged fans to arrive early and leave bags at home for Game 4.
“This is not about watch parties, it’s about celebrating wins,” MSG Sports said in its statement. “Issues that happened at the Mayor’s Bryant Park watch party (a city-run watch party) are not related to blocks around MSG nor any other previously run MSG watch party.”
Madison Square Garden Sports previously referred to Mamdani and NYC Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch as “party poopers” in a Tuesday press release blasting the decision to limit the number of fans that could attend the Game 4 watch party outside the Garden.
Mamdani and Tisch have emphasized the security protocols for Game 4 near the arena are in line with other major events like New Year’s Eve and July 4th. Mamdani attended Game 3 and told reporters he bought a ticket in the nosebleeds to the first NBA Finals game hosted by the Knicks since 1999 for nearly $1,000.
On Wednesday, the Knicks ownership group noted that Oklahoma City, Boston, Denver and Toronto have each successfully had major celebrations and NBA Finals watch parties around their arenas in recent years with only minor incidents.
“If the Mayor won’t allow that, can he at least give Knicks fans an honest answer of why not?” the MSG Sports statement concluded. “He can’t blame it on the President. He is not coming to Game 4 and there is no reason to create a police state around The Garden.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks ignite feud with Zohran Mamdani over MSG NBA Finals watch party
