With Game 1 of the NBA Finals set for Wednesday night in San Antonio, New York City has three official Knicks watch parties -- inside and outside Madison Square Garden and in Central Park.
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs set for Wednesday night in San Antonio, the Big Apple has three official watch parties -- inside and outside Madison Square Garden and in Central Park.
The city initially had some issues with the watch party outside the Garden, due to the chaotic nature of having so many people in one place, but ultimately the NYPD assured the powers that be it would find a way to make it all work -- as it always does. Knicks fans will be watching their team play in the NBA Finals at three different watch parties in the city.
If you're unable to get into any of the watch parties but want to get caught up in the madness, there's a good chance"Listen, it's been 27 years since we've been here. It's time for New York to finally celebrate. The city is electric," fan Joe Mannarino said.
SummerStage in Central Park was expected to be packed for Game 1, but the reality is the magnitude of this series likely means it will be overflowing with fans, weather permitting, for as long as the finals last. Technically, the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue sells the merchandise of all 30 teams in the league, but CBS News New York found one section in particular to be a little busier than the others.
Fan Daniel Orlin said he tries not to get ahead of himself and picture what the city would be like if the Knicks pull off four more wins, but being present outside the Garden after the Knicks"I just want to represent. It's a moment in time. Look, we're in the finals. We haven't been to the finals in 27 years," Orlin said.
"Everyone's going nuts. Everyone's excited. This is a basketball city.
"It's fanbase that is equal parts starved for a championship -- the Knicks last won it all in 1973 -- and not lacking in confidence. "I'm praying. I'm going to church right now and making sure they win, because if the nuns can pray, I can pray," Gilda Abrenica said.
"I'm not nervous. I'm nervous for the Spurs, not the Knicks," Valerie Butler said.
"The Knicks are gonna take it in four. Knicks in four.
" Low on the list of concerns amongst the fans we spoke to were things like bedtimes, jobs, and anything else, really. "I'm going to the parade. I don't care if I have to take off. I'm going," Butler added.
This series is going well beyond the rabid nature of fandom. The Central Park Zoo has an agreement with the San Antonio Zoo. The winner of the NBA Finals will have a flag flying in the losing city's zoo for one day. Knicks fever is not just reserved for the city.
Many fans are enjoying the team's playoff run in Nassau County. County Executive Bruce Blakeman kicked off a pep rally Wednesday alongside a packed room of fans and some franchise legends. Former champions Johnny Warren, who won a ring with the Knicks in 1970, and Basketball Hall of Famer Earl"The Pearl" Monroe, a stalwart on the 1973 team, had a message for all the fans in attendance.
Monroe said the energy surrounding this team reminds him of the franchise's glory days, and he credits much of that to Jalen Brunson, "I think Jalen is a great leader, and I think all he has to do is continue what he does. He's an inspiration to guys who are near 6 feet tall, and you don't have to a giant to be an outstanding player in the league," Monroe said.
Warren said he is also confident about the team's chances to bring home the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, but for a different reason.
"When they want to lock you down, they are playing outstanding defense, and I think defense wins championships," Warren said. NBA Finals official watch parties in NYC are few, but the Knicks are turning any place with a TV into a go-to spotPadres DFA Nick Castellanos during ex-Phillie's return to PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia councilmembers urge World Cup watch party organizers to attend trainings about dealing with ICE
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