The New York Knicks have become the hottest ticket in sports after their run to the NBA Finals. Games 3 and 4 of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs are set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC at Madison Square Garden, marking the first time the Garden has hosted a championship series game since 1999. Celebrities including Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan have been among the courtside regulars.
A select row of six to eight courtside seats is reserved for high-profile guests who are personally invited by Madison Square Garden, according to ABC News. Those invitees receive perks such as access to a private elevator and Suite 200, which offers luxury cuisine and opportunities to mingle with other attendees.
Those privileges come with unofficial rules. ABC News reports invited guests are expected to remain in their seats for the duration of the game; leaving early can cost future invites, a fate meted out to supermodel Emily Ratajkowski in 2023. The Garden also requests that invited guests present themselves for camera shots, appear on the jumbotron and take part in promotional filming.
Front Office Sports reports that exclusively invited guests are prohibited from giving away seats provided by the Garden. The outlet says the decision to grant seats factors in a guest’s fame, relationship with Madison Square Garden and the game’s popularity.
Another nonnegotiable requirement is support for the Knicks — a reason Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet are frequently seen on celebrity row. Public criticism of franchise decisions can also carry consequences. Actor Ethan Hawke has said he lost his seat after commenting on the team’s parting with coach Mike D’Antoni in 2012; Hawke recounted on the Bill Simmons Podcast in 2018 that, after the incident, he was told he would have to pay for seats.
Invitations to the Garden’s celebrity row bring access and visibility, but the Garden reserves the right to revoke privileges when guests violate those expectations, according to the reporting.
