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City adds Bryant Park watch party as Trump visit scuttles Game 3 MSG gathering
By
Michael Sol Warren
and
Samantha Max
Published Jun 7, 2026
Modified Jun 8, 2026
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By
Michael Sol Warren
and
Samantha Max
Published Jun 7, 2026
Modified Jun 8, 2026
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There will be no watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, when the New York Knicks return home for their first championship game in nearly three decades. But the city is adding a watch party at Bryant Park to give fans a new spot to gather.
A spokesperson for the NYPD said the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service because of President Donald Trump's visit. The spokesperson added that watch parties were expected to resume outside Madison Square Garden for Game 4 on Wednesday.
A Secret Service spokesperson said the restriction applies only to the area immediately surrounding Madison Square Garden.
Fans will still be able to gather at watch parties in Central Park, Brooklyn Bowl and now at Bryant Park. The city announced the addition of the Bryant Park watch party early Monday. The party, which will host up to 5,000 people, is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
“These watch parties have become a celebration of New York City itself,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.
The Knicks are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973. Game 3 on Monday night will be the Knicks’ first home game of the finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service said the agency and the NYPD jointly determined that outdoor watch parties could not be accommodated near Madison Square Garden because of security requirements associated with an event of this scale.
People who’ve managed to get tickets will face heightened security measures with Trump in the building.
Fans will not be allowed to bring bags into the arena, the Knicks and the U.S. Secret Service posted on social media Saturday. Selfie sticks, weapons, glass containers and various other items will also be prohibited, according to a list shared on the Secret Service website.
The Knicks said on social media that spectators should expect airport-style screening procedures and encouraged people to arrive at least two hours before tip-off at 8:30 p.m.
Before stepping off at the Queens Pride Parade, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told Gothamist there will be extra security at the Knicks game on Monday night.
The NYPD is also planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden, according to an MSG spokesperson.
The heightened security measures are another burden for fans who have faced skyrocketing ticket prices to get into Game 3. The cheapest ticket available on TickPick on Sunday morning was listed at $8,282.
Police arrested 26 people at the watch party for Game 2 outside Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
The Knicks will be back at the Garden for Game 4 on Wednesday night. Trump has not said he plans to attend that game, and the NYPD said it expects watch parties outside Madison Square Garden to resume.
Jill White contributed reporting to the story.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
Tagged
knicks
new york city
public safety
Michael Sol Warren
Michael Sol Warren covers New Jersey for WNYC and Gothamist, and previously reported on issues around the Garden State for NJ Spotlight News and NJ Advance Media. He can be reached at [email protected].
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Samantha Max
Samantha reports on whether New Yorkers feel safe and whether the institutions that are supposed to protect them are working. Before coming to WNYC/Gothamist, she spent three years covering the criminal justice system in Tennessee for Nashville Public Radio. Her reporting on Nashville's police department received multiple awards, including the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize. Samantha was also part of the inaugural class of Report for America, a service journalism program that sends up-and-coming reporters to local newsrooms across the country. She is a Northwestern University grad, a Baltimore native and fluent in Spanish. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal: samanthamaxwnyc.93.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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