After the Knicks were forced to cancel the watch party for Game 3 of the NBA Finals outside Madison Square Garden as the NYPD lobbied to get their permit denied, Zohran Mamdani, the Mayor of New York City, took the matter into his own hands for Game 4.
Hours after President Donald Trump confirmed he won’t be attending Game 4, Mayor Mamdani, who attended Game 3 as well, took to social media tonight and announced that there will be a watch party outside the Garden.
“NEW YORK: We’re back outside the Garden. We have approved a ticketed MSG watch party for Game 4. More details soon. As we prepare to watch together, let me be clear: this is a historic, joyful moment for our city. We will not allow it to be disrupted by violence. Be safe, take care, and celebrate responsibly. Knicks in 5,” he wrote on X.
Less than an hour after Mayor Mamdani made this announcement, Madison Square Garden Sports (MSG Sports) released a statement headlined: ‘Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch are New York City’s Biggest Party Poopers.’
“The last several victories the Knicks have had have been celebrated by thousands and thousands outside MSG. The joy and happiness were palpable everywhere. Apparently, Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch, despite what they say, don’t want to see these celebrations happen.”
“We have been told that the NYPD will once again implement the same ‘frozen zone’ restrictions for Game 4, which were supposedly to thwart any threats related to the President’s attendance. We now know these restrictions were never about the President – it was just a convenient excuse to restrict how and when Knicks fans celebrate.”
“The complete closing of areas around MSG is going to affect not only the celebration but also all the small businesses that rely on Garden fans for their livelihood. These celebrations are part of the heart and soul of New Yorkers.”
“The actions of the Mayor and Police Commissioner, supposedly in support of the Knicks and their fans, are difficult to understand. We urge them to lift these restrictions and embrace the love of the team.”
Therefore, despite having announced the ticketed watch party, the mayor’s actions come into public scrutiny. The question now becomes, since President Trump is not attending Game 4, is there any reason to have restrictions on watch parties outside Madison Square Garden?
There were several altercations and brawls that broke out across the city after the Knicks lost Game 3. Hence, hosting a watch party right outside the venue where President Trump was in attendance would have been a valid security threat to him.
I feel there is a potential middle ground that both sides can reach here. With the right amount of police presence, maybe they can avoid a repeat of those brawls tomorrow night. A ticketed watch party keeps an account of the people who are attending and limits them to the number of people that they can manage.
However, this goes against the sentiment that all Knicks fans should be able to celebrate their side’s success, and it should not be limited to the rich few. But as of now, it is uncertain whether there will be a watch party outside the Garden tomorrow night or not. Let’s see what Mayor Mamdani’s office decides in consensus with the NYPD and MSG Sports.
