How New Yorkers celebrated the Knicks’ first NBA Finals appearance in 27 years

NBAHow New Yorkers celebrated the Knicks’ first NBA Finals appearance in 27 yearsFans paid thousands of dollars to see the team at Madison Square Garden and flooded Bryant Park for an outdoor watch party. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Fans react during a watch party in Bryant Park for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on June 8, 2026. Adam Gray / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 9, 2026, 8:20 AM EDTBy Amina KilpatrickAs the first NBA Finals home game in 27 years approached, Knicks fans had to confront two problems: getting inside Madison Square Garden and watching from outside. Prices were prohibitive for most, and President Donald Trump’s attendance prompted enhanced security restrictions.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.For those who were able to get into the arena, they paid a pretty penny. General sales to the public were limited and even before the Western Conference champion was crowned, Knicks home game tickets for the championship round were costing thousands of dollars. NBC News spoke with fans heading into Game 3, and all said they spent between $1,350 and $20,000 for seats.“I’ve been a Knicks fan ever since I moved to the U.S. when I was 9-years-old,” said business owner Cara Swaby, who had seats near the courtside that cost $20,000. “I used to watch Patrick Ewing and John Starks.”Not everyone had to pay that much money, however. Arden, a doctor and Knicks season ticket holder for 23 years, said he paid $1,350 each. Those same seats he said were going for $20,000 for Game 3 and $25,000 for Game 4 on the secondary market but he decided to keep them given the magnitude of this experience. 00:39How much Knicks fans paid for NBA Finals tickets00:0000:00Some fans were lucky to score free tickets, such as through a lottery or as a gift. A mother and son, Torra and Raquis Gaddy, received tickets from a friend who was not able t...