By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) – Road closures, bag bans and a gauntlet of security measures will greet fans at Madison Square Garden on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump descends on the heart of Manhattan to watch the New York Knicks play the San Antonio Spurs at home in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks have defied the odds to build a 2-0 head start in the best-of-seven series, winning two games on the road as French superstar Victor Wembanyama has failed to meet expectations in the championship series for the Spurs.
With nearby MetLife Stadium set to host its first of eight World Cup matches in a week, the NBA Finals have stolen the spotlight away from the massive global tournament in New York – for now – with even the cheapest tickets available on resale platform StubHub topping $9,000 as of Saturday night.
The Secret Service urged ticket holders to arrive early to the self-styled “World’s Most Famous Arena”, which sits above the busiest transit hub in the United States, Penn Station, and will see the NBA Finals for the first time in more than a quarter-century with Trump in attendance.
“Attendees should anticipate hard street closures in the immediate area surrounding Madison Square Garden,” Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi said in an emailed statement.
“A strict no-bag policy will be enforced, and we want to communicate that early and broadly so fans can plan accordingly. Attendees should also expect Secret Service-level security screening, similar to airport screening procedures.”
Train services on the local subway and Long Island Rail Road commuter line are expected to continue uninterrupted through Penn Station.
The Knicks said in a statement: “Fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum.”
Trump has routinely harnessed sport’s spotlight in his second term, becoming the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl last year before attending other marquee events later in the year, including the Ryder Cup and the championship match for soccer’s Club World Cup.
Thousands of ticket holders missed the start of the U.S. Open men’s final in September, when security checks related to Trump’s attendance caused confusion and slowed entry to the event.
“To ensure timely entry and avoid delays, we strongly encourage fans to arrive at least two hours before tip-off. While final operational details are still being coordinated, this is the planning framework we currently expect and can be reported as such,” Guglielmi said.
The Knicks have not won the title since 1973 and their first trip to the Finals since 1999 has electrified the five boroughs.
Some 6,500 fans flooded the area outside Madison Square Garden for a watch party on Friday night, when the Knicks managed a spine-tingling 105-104 win over the Spurs to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
New York City police said they arrested 17 individuals at the event, including one who struck a police officer in the face. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged fans to “celebrate responsibly.”
“New Yorkers are rightfully excited about the Knicks’ historic Finals run, and we want fans to celebrate this moment together. There is, however, no place for violence, and no tolerance for attacks on police officers,” Mamdani said in a statement on Saturday.
A lifelong Knicks fan, Mamdani has made multiple appearances at local sporting events since he won the mayoral election last year and told New York radio station 1010 WINS that he planned to attend the game on Monday.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis and Edmund Klamann)
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