Jason Burgos
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has plans to make every New York Knicks game in the 2026 NBA Finals a celebration throughout the city.
On Monday night, the Knicks brought joy to the five boroughs and tri-state area when they punched their ticket to the Finals for the first time since 1999 with a dominant 130-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the team’s 11th straight win in these playoffs and has them on the verge of their first championship since 1973.
What has made this run stand out for basketball fans outside the city is that they have quickly learned how passionate Knicks fans are. They have invaded the home arenas of the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cavaliers for each round of the playoffs. And videos of watch parties and wild celebrations outside Madison Square Garden have gone viral on social media.
The chaos outside MSG has gotten a bit out of control at times, and the NYPD has had to clamp down on the rowdiness over the last week. However, Mayor Mamdani, an avid Knicks fan in his own right, understands the devotion of Knicks fans, and they deserve to get every chance to celebrate the team’s trip to the Finals, but safely.
NY Knicks ‘watch parties across the city’ planned for NBA Finals
During a press conference on Tuesday morning, he hilariously noted when asked about the Knicks’ hot streak that “People whisper to me in every kind of event you can imagine — ‘Knicks in four.'” However, he also revealed that “We’re going to have watch parties across the city.”
“We are very excited about that [and] making it easier for New Yorkers to celebrate,” Mamdani said.
There have been Knicks watch parties in and outside Madison Square Garden during the playoffs, and on Monday night, there was a massive watch party inside historic Radio City Music Hall. A Knicks Finals trip is a true rarity, so the sports-loving mayor making a push to give residents a chance to celebrate the moment together safely is sure to earn him more cool points with voters.
