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Dolan's offer: Donations to Blakeman for Knicks tickets
By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Oct 13, 2026
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By
Walter Wuthmann
Published Oct 13, 2026
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MSG will serve as home court for defending NBA champions the New York Knicks Thursday night as team owner James Dolan hosts a Republican fundraiser during a preseason game.
Donors are invited to watch the Knicks take on the Toronto Raptors alongside “New York’s next governor.” That would be Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in the November election.
It’s the latest instance of Dolan infusing his personal politics into the beloved team – and it immediately provoked the ire of the Knicks faithful in deep-blue New York City.
“ The bit that's strange to me is how much of an antagonist Dolan wants to make himself with the fans, even after he more or less by accident finally gave them the thing that they'd been wanting for so long – a championship,” said David Roth, a co-founder of the sports media company Defector who frequently writes and podcasts about the Knicks.
Roth said Dolan can't just bask in the post-championship glow. “He's got to get the birds up,” he said.
Fans echoed that sentiment on social media after the fundraiser news, with comments on Reddit like “gross,” “embarrassing” and “Shut up and dribble, James!”
Dolan has been a polarizing figure since he took control of the Knicks and the storied arena in the 1990s. He benefits from a property tax break that diverts an estimated $42 million a year from city coffers, and he’s banned fans from the Garden for criticizing him.
Nine days before the 2024 presidential election, Dolan rented the Garden out for a Trump rally where one of the warm-up acts referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.”
The invite for the Blakeman fundraiser leans hard into Knicks imagery, showing Madison Square Garden lit up in blue and orange. Attendees must shell out at least $10,000 to attend, or $25,000 for “friend” status and $50,000 at the “patriot” level.
Though Dolan has supported Hochul in the past, the billionaire executive chair of Madison Square Garden Entertainment is all-in on the conservative Nassau County Executive this cycle. In July, Dolan and various MSG-affiliated entities gave nearly $1.4 million to a Super PAC supporting Blakeman, according to state campaign finance records.
The PAC has paid for anti-Hochul billboards at points where highway traffic exits New York state that read “You are Now Leaving NY (Like Everyone Else). Vote Bruce Blakeman.”
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Blakeman, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, says he’s running to cut taxes and repeal “soft-on-crime” sanctuary laws.
“James Dolan knows how to build business, create jobs, and win championships,” Blakeman said in a statement. “I’m proud to have his support and his advice – and together, we’re ready to take on Kathy Hochul and deliver another win for all New Yorkers.”
A representative for Dolan and MSG did not respond to a request for comment.
Andrew Kuo, a lifelong Knicks fan who hosts “Cookies: A Basketball Podcast” and sports an array of Knicks tattoos, said news of the Blakeman fundraiser brought back memories of Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Dolan’s invitation.
Fans dubbed it the “Trump game,” and the night featured heightened security and long waits to get into the arena. The Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs that night.
“ I do feel like that distraction prevented a sweep,” Kuo said. “They just weren't themselves.”
Kuo said he feels Dolan capitalizes on the team and its rabid fanbase to advance his personal causes. “ It feels as if we're being used,” he said.
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Walter Wuthmann
Walter Wuthmann is a reporter covering public safety and the legal system.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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