NEW YORK (AP) — The world’s most famous arena has witnessed legendary moments from the first heavyweight clash between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier to the inaugural Wrestlemania spectacle.
However, NBA Finals action has been notably absent from Madison Square Garden.
The New York Knicks have returned championship basketball to their home venue for the first time in 25 years and hold the power to ensure it stays there this season. Supporters are paying extraordinary amounts for seats and the opportunity to witness a celebration that has been building for more than 50 years.
Leading Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs 2-0, the Knicks stand two victories away from their first title since 1973. They’ve become the city’s biggest attraction, yet the team itself remains focused while everyone else gets swept up in the excitement.
“I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be,” captain Jalen Brunson said. “But as a team, us inside the locker room, we have more work to do.”
Monday’s Game 3 will feature President Donald Trump among the attendees. Whether they’ve competed on this floor or watched from the upper levels — though affordable seating doesn’t exist this time with resale prices exceeding $10,000 — everyone understands this evening will be extraordinary.
“I think it’s going to be through the roof,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “I think it’s going to be everything that I’ve kind of seen or dreamed of times 10.”
This marks the first NBA Finals contest at Madison Square Garden since June 25, 1999, when the Knicks watched the Spurs claim their inaugural championship with a Game 5 victory.
That series and the 1994 finals represent the only championship games held at MSG since the Knicks captured the 1973 crown. They rarely came close again until this remarkable 13-game winning streak, the second-longest by any franchise in a single postseason, with the city’s energy intensifying after each triumph.
“Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give them something to cheer for, give them something to get loud for and also give them something to believe in.”
Wembanyama, Brunson and their teammates will share Monday’s spotlight with the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game and the celebrity supporters who fill courtside seats. Some were already present Sunday for practice sessions, with Knicks coach Mike Brown finally meeting actor Ben Stiller before having his press conference extended when rapper Fat Joe demanded speaking time from the back of the room.
Wembanyama previously showcased his talents at MSG during his sophomore campaign when the Spurs received the featured Christmas Day matchup and he recorded 42 points. Such high-profile experiences, which the Spurs have increasingly enjoyed since selecting the 7-foot-4 French sensation, could prove valuable for Monday’s challenge.
“This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “We’ve been fortunate to play some games in this arena recently that have been, again, not finals, but a Christmas game. Again, I just think added attention around Victor and being in this arena a few times, we’ve experienced that. I would expect tomorrow will be more than that.”
The Knicks’ dominance during this playoff run has limited their home appearances. They’ve hosted just four games since May 4, when they began the second round. Even the home squad finds it difficult to describe what Monday’s atmosphere will deliver.
“I’ve seen a lot of crazy atmospheres,” guard Deuce McBride said. “I don’t think I’m going to know what to expect, but I’m just proud to be here, I’m so blessed to play here and I know the fans are going to bring it and we’re going to do everything we can.”
The venue that erupted when Willis Reed entered for Game 7 in 1970 will thunder again Monday. The current MSG had opened just years before, while the previous Garden never hosted NBA Finals games. The Knicks reached three consecutive finals from 1951-53, but those contests occurred at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue because the Garden was occupied by the circus.
Game 3 launches a massive sports week in the New York area, with a World Cup match set for Saturday in nearby East Rutherford, New Jersey, which will host the tournament final. Knicks forward Josh Hart had accepted an ambassador position for the local World Cup organizing committee but acknowledges the Knicks have overshadowed even soccer’s premier global event.
“I love football, man, so obviously a little bummed I can’t go to some of those matches, but I have something a little more interesting right now going on in my life,” Hart said. “It also adds to the energy of the city.”
