NYC cancels Knicks NBA Finals watch party over Trump visit as MSG fires back
The Knicks are two wins away from the title, MSG is gearing up for the biggest game in three decades, and New York City has canceled the party.
As the Knicks prepared to host the San Antonio Spurs for Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a 2-0 series lead on Monday night, thousands of ticketless fans hoping to fill Plaza33’s outdoor viewing party learned the party would not happen.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson responds to a call in the second quarter during game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2026. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
The NYPD claims the party was closed due to the security of President Donald Trump’s visit and the Secret Service’s large footprint.
President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. (Mandel Ngan/AFP)
NYPD LIFTS BAN ON KNICKS WATCH PARTIES OUTSIDE MSG FOR GAME 1 OF THE NBA FINALS AFTER FANS WERE TOO COMBATIVE
In a scramble of press releases obtained by Fox News Digital, the NYPD released the following statement:
“There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only. This was done entirely in coordination with the Secret Service due to the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to continue for Game 4.”
MSG pushed back, saying the permit was denied by local city officials and not because of Trump’s involvement.
TRUMP IS EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE KNICKS-Spurs NBA FINALS GAME 3 AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
“The permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 viewing party was denied by the City’s permit office, in consultation with the NYPD,” Madison Square Garden said in a statement. “However, the White House will confirm that this is not about the President. We understand that NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden.”
Instead of taking on additional street closures themselves, City Hall and the NYPD point to Trump’s emergence as the reason for the closures.
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he heads to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on Friday. (Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images))
Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also scheduled to attend, but will reportedly not sit near Trump.
Friday’s watch party was a little rowdy. When you combine a 27-year championship drought with too many overpriced IPAs, it’s inevitable that Bing Bong energy will spread to 7th Street.
Still, scrapping outdoor gatherings feels like an overreach by a city government that likes to micromanage. Instead of allowing the streets outside the arena to be painted orange and blue, fans are being told to disperse to local bars or Central Park.
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Bureaucrats killed the party, but if the Knicks take a 3-0 lead, none of the Manhattan barricades can stop the celebration.
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