Knicks Owner in Feud with NYC Mayor Ahead of Key Game

New York – In the lead-up to what many are calling the biggest Knicks game in years, team owner James Dolan is finding himself at odds with Mayor Zoran Mamdani.

The tension started when plans for a viewing party outside Madison Square Garden, a regular feature during the Knicks’ playoff games, were abruptly canceled ahead of Wednesday’s match. The New York City Police Department announced that such gatherings would not be allowed due to a scheduled appearance by President Trump.

In response, Dolan opted to cancel a planned Game 4 viewing party for 1,000 fans, claiming that “millions” would be attending instead.

“He gave us the gift of testing 999 people and saying no to 20,000 people… Our hope was that the mayor and the commissioner would change their minds and we’d put up the screens,” Dolan stated during a rare interview on WFAN Wednesday.

This, he added, was about celebrating the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, a basketball landmark. He expressed frustration that the mayor’s office seemed to discourage such celebrations.

However, around 5 p.m. ET, Mamdani countered Dolan’s claims on social media, revealing that Madison Square Garden had requested approval for a gathering of between 500 and 999 fans, and pointed out that Dolan had ultimately chosen to cancel the watch party.

About an hour before Game 4 was set to kick off, the mayor took to social media again, criticizing Madison Square Garden for not utilizing the permits provided by his office. “Tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the New York Knicks will be left out,” he declared. “We didn’t think it was fair to allow just a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everyone else was shut out.”

Additionally, a city reporter discovered that a permit application had indeed been filed by Madison Square Garden, which was given the option to apply for a larger gathering.

The situation escalated following a previous city-sponsored watch party at Bryant Park that had resulted in chaotic behavior, a not-so-uncommon occurrence during Knicks games this postseason.

Road closures are expected on both days of the NBA Finals, with Dolan going so far as to say that gaining access to the game would be easier than entering “Area 51.”