It’s clear that the New York Knicks are the hottest ticket in all of sports right now, thanks to their run to the NBA Finals.
With Games 3 and 4 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) of the Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs in New York, it marks the first time since 1999 that Madison Square Garden has hosted a championship series game.
And with all the hype around the Knicks, the rich and famous are flocking to the “World’s Most Famous Arena” and bringing some of pop culture’s biggest names and most loyal Knicks fans to the courtside seats. Think Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan.
According to ABC News, while some of the most expensive seats available are purchased by athletes and other entertainers, there is a select row of six to eight seats reserved for some of the biggest names such as Chalamet and Stiller, who are personally invited by Madison Square Garden.
And with those invites come many perks that includes access to a private elevator and Suite 200, which features luxury cuisine and a chance to mingle with other celebrities.
Thought it might sound like freedom for the A-list celebrities in attendance, there are also some unofficial rules they must follow to prevent having future invitations revoked.
One of those rules is that you must stay in your seat for the duration of the game — win or blowout. If you leave before the game’s conclusion, as supermodel Emily Ratajkowski did in 2023, you won’t be invited back — but are welcome to purchase seats.
The Garden also requests fans who are invited to show up presentable for the camera, be shown on the jumbotron and participate in filming promotions for Madison Square Garden.
According to Front Office Sports, exclusively invited guests are not allowed to give away seats obtained from the Garden. The seat granting decision process considers factors such as how famous a person is, their relationship with Madison Square Garden and the popularity of the game.
The biggest and most important rule of all? You must be a Knicks fan. Hence, it’s why Stiller and Chalamet are always seen courtside on celebrity row. Also, you’re not to question decisions made by the franchise, such as coaching hires. According to actor Ethan Hawke, he lost his seat after making remarks on Jimmy Fallon’s show about the Knicks parting ways with former coach Mike D’Antoni in 2012.
“They’d always hook me up,” Hawke said on the Bill Simmons Podcast in 2018. “And then I called up one time and they said, ‘That’ll be $7,800.’ I was like, ‘Why is this the first time you guys are charging me?’ And they said, ‘You should have thought of that before you went on the Jimmy Fallon show.’ And I was like, ‘Wow, this is real.'”
In conclusion, if you get an invitation to be in the Knicks’ celebrity row, be careful not to mess it up.
