As the Knicks chase a championship and New York buzzes with NBA Finals fever, a public feud between Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Madison Square Garden CEO James Dolan has spilled beyond politics and sports, with local businesses saying they’re paying the price.
Hours before Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, MSG canceled its planned outdoor watch party after city officials imposed crowd-control measures around the venue. Dolan blasted the restrictions during a Wednesday appearance on New York sports radio station WFAN, accusing Mamdani’s administration of trying to stifle fan celebrations.
“This is all really designed around stopping people from celebrating around Madison Square Garden,” Dolan said, arguing that city officials “don’t want the celebration.”
He repeatedly blamed the mayor’s office for security measures that he said would create long delays and discourage fans from gathering near the arena.
Mamdani fired back on X, accusing Dolan of spreading misinformation and saying the city had approved a scaled-down watch party while prioritizing public safety.
MSG requested a permit for a watch party for 500-999 fans. We approved that permit for 999 fans.
Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party.
I know this is breaking hearts across our city.
But if there’s one thing Knicks fans don’t need permission for, it’s showing up…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) June 10, 2026
In a statement to Business Insider, representatives for MSG insisted the venue “didn’t cancel anything.”
“Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks declined to use the permit that was granted by Mayor Mamdani’s office due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed into the area and they would need to be ticketed, leaving the tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the Knicks out in the cold. We did not think it was fair to just allow a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everybody else was being shut out.”
The clash comes after heightened security measures were put in place around the Garden earlier this week, following President Donald Trump’s attendance at Game 3.
While city officials have cited safety concerns, nearby business owners said the restrictions hurt one of the busiest stretches of the year.
Angela Reilly, owner of Molly Wee Pub near the Garden, said restrictions on Monday resulted in “the worst night that I’ve had for the Knicks” during the playoff run.
“We would normally be full to the brim, and last night we were like half empty,” Reilly told Business Insider on Tuesday. She said revenue was roughly half of what the pub generated during last Friday’s Knicks away game and estimated the losses amounted to “thousands” of dollars.
Reilly said businesses were unfairly caught up in the increased security measures during what should have been a windfall event. “We’re all here to make money when we can, when there’s something big like this on,” she said.
Darren Harford, manager of District Tap House NYC, said the bar expected a rush of ticket holders before Monday’s game but didn’t see it materialize.
While the bar remained busy during the game itself, he called the closures “definitely a negative” and said businesses closer to the restricted zone were being hurt.
