Bryant Park will host a Knicks watch party on Monday after the usual event outside of Madison Square Garden was canceled due to heightened security for President Donald Trump, who is attending the game. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the Midtown park will be showing Game 3 of the NBA Finals for 5,000 fans. The event is free to attend, but registration is required. You can sign up for a spot starting at 12 p.m. here.
Mamdani, who is also attending Monday night’s game, said in a statement that the Bryant Park event was added after “the U.S. Secret Service and the NYPD determined that a watch party could not be held outside Madison Square Garden due to the heightened security requirements associated with President Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals.”
The permit for the Game 3 watch party on Plaza33 outside of MSG was denied by the city in consultation with the police department and U.S. Secret Service on Sunday, ABC reported.
“This is a historic run, and it’s great to see the energy and pride Knicks fans are bringing to New York City,” Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York Field Office, said in a statement.
“At the same time, our responsibility is to ensure the highest level of public safety. After careful coordination and assessment, the Secret Service and the NYPD jointly determined that outdoor watch parties could not be accommodated in the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden due to the security requirements associated with an event of this scale and the need to maintain a secure environment for protective operations.”
The watch parties outside of the Garden were briefly canceled last month after the NYPD cited “very rough” crowds, but fans still poured into the street to celebrate the team’s historic run. Permits were later granted for subsequent games. On Friday, after the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs by one point, police arrested 17 people and issued summonses for disorderly conduct to nine others, according to the New York Times.
An NYPD spokesperson told the New York Post the watch parties will likely return for Game 4.
Official watch parties will also be held on Monday at Wollman Rink and Brooklyn Bowl. Unofficial parties are happening basically anywhere with a TV.
“These watch parties have become a celebration of New York City itself,” Mamdani said. “From every borough and every neighborhood, this city has come together to cheer on the Knicks and share in a moment that belongs to all of us.”
“That’s why we’re adding Bryant Park as an additional watch party location, so even more fans can be part of this incredible Knicks Finals run. Whether you join us in Bryant Park, Central Park or at Brooklyn Bowl, we invite New Yorkers to come together and support our team. Let’s go Knicks.”
For lucky fans attending the game on Monday, the Knicks announced stricter security measures, including a no-bag policy. The team encouraged attendees to arrive two hours before tip-off.
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