The drought is over! Knicks win first NBA title in 53 years

The Knicks say there will be no watch party outside Madison Square Garden.

Fans are being directed to Wollman Rink, which is already sold out.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a response to his X account following the announcement, saying the city approved a permit for a watch party for 999 fans.

Knicks owner Dolan scoffed at the limitation, calling the mayor and the police commissioner "party poopers," but the NYPD pointed out MSG only sought a permit for 500-999 people.

Dolan also complained about the secure zone established around the arena.

"You have an easier chance of getting into Area 51 today than you do into Madison Square Garden," Dolan said. "You would think we were guarding Fort Knox"

An MSG official said in a statement, "The Knicks never agreed to what the city proposed. So the watch party outside MSG was not cancelled in the traditional sense. The Knicks do not agree to what the city proposed."

Knicks owner James Dolan said he is not putting up watch screens on Madison Square Garden for less than 1,000 people to watch at the city-approved watch party

He said fans have been waiting a long time and pleaded for larger crowds to be let in.

"Our hope is that the mayor and commissioner will change their minds and put the screens up, it's almost 5 p.m. and they haven't changed their mind," Dolan said.

He said he went on WFAN to warn fans that it will take hours to get into the secure area tonight.

"You have an easier chance of getting into Area 51 today than you do into Madison Square Garden."

"This is not about a watch party," he continued "this is about celebrating the Knicks at MSG, at the Mecca of Basketball. This is what the Mayor's Office and the Commissioner's Office is trying to kill...I'm not sure why they don't want the celebration."

"They clearly don't want it," when asked why NYPD set up the security, adding Mayor Mamdani is clearly not a Knick fan.

In addition to the previously announced outdoor watch party at MSG on Wednesday night, the Knicks announced there will also be watch parties at Wollman Rink and Brooklyn Bowl.

The two newly announced watch parties are free, but officials say pre-registration will expedite entry.

Pre-registration will not guarantee admission and fans will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Click here to register for Wollman Rink and click here to register for Brooklyn Bowl.

MSG is unhappy with the limitations on the watch party outside the arena for Game 4, calling the arrangements evidence of "a police state."

It comes after the NYPD approved a watch party permit for 999 people, after MSG's permit application apparently asked for 500-999 people.

Read the full statement:

"Mayor Mamdani's 'granting' of a watch party permit is disingenuous at best. It came with multiple conditions, including not allowing more than 1,000 spectators and demanding that they all must have a ticket. But more important is the Mayor's plan to freeze out fans from celebrating outside Madison Square Garden, which will turn the streets around MSG into a police state.

The Knicks' victories are for all New Yorkers.

We wish everyone could see the games live. Watch parties and public celebrations are a way for every Knicks fan to enjoy this special time. These fans want to celebrate together. They want to celebrate at the Mecca of basketball.

This is not about watch parties, it's about celebrating wins.

Issues that happened at the Mayor's Bryant Park watch party (a city-run watch party) are not related to blocks around MSG nor any other previously run MSG watch party. Additionally there have been minimal problems in other cities where NBA Final watch parties occurred and they have had successful experiences around those respective arenas - 2025 Oklahoma City vs Indiana had major celebrations around arena with limited to no incidents; 2019 Toronto vs. Golden State; 2024 Dallas vs Boston; and 2023 Denver vs Miami all had major celebrations around their arenas with minor incidents.

If the Mayor won't allow that, can he at least give Knicks fans an honest answer of why not? He can't blame it on the President. He is not coming to Game 4 and there is no reason to create a police state around The Garden."