Sorry, Knicks fans: No Madison Square Garden watch party tonight.
You won’t even be able to walk close.
The NYPD and U.S. Secret Service announced another spate of street closures and security measures in anticipation of President Donald Trump’s historic trip to the Knicks’ NBA Finals game.
No sitting president has ever attended an NBA Finals. And the security will be pretty historic, too.
Starting at 4 p.m., 30th to 35th streets will be closed between Seventh and Eighth avenues. That means no vehicular traffic — and no pedestrian traffic either.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has already purchased his ticket to Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Spurs and Knicks, and President Trump will be at Madison Square Garden that night for the game as well — tapping into the type of team spirit that can smooth political differences. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.
People with ticketed train or game tickets will be allowed to enter the area on foot. So too will people who have appointments with businesses, the NYPD said. It’s not clear how law enforcement plans to verify the latter.
No bags or backpacks are permitted in the secure zone unless traveling by rail, the NYPD says.
The Knicks have already announced a strict no-bag policy, and fans are urged to take as little as possible. The team also said there would be no storage at MSG for prohibited items brought to the arena. See the list.
Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.
News 4’s Charles Watson reports from Madison Square Garden
