James Dolan, owner of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden, is canceling the watch party for his own team after complaining that the mayor and NYPD were being too cautious with security plans.
Speaking on WFAN, Dolan complained about the intense security and the limited number of people allowed into the watch party area.
But an NYPD spokesperson said it was MSG that requested a permit for only 999 people.
“No, we’re not going to have the screens up,” Dolan said in the interview.
MSG released a lengthy unsigned statement, but it did not address its request for only 1,000 watch party attendees.
An MSG spokesperson did not comment beyond referring to Dolan’s comments on WFAN and it's unclear if or why MSG plans to cancel the watch party.
Dolan, an ally of President Donald Trump, has been a longtime critic of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's politics. The mayor, in a post on X, maintained an upbeat tone about the team he's supported since childhood.
"MSG requested a permit for a watch party for 500-999 fans. We approved that permit for 999 fans," Mamdani said. "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 for our team wherever we may be — no matter the block or the borough. Knicks in five."
This is a developing story and has been updated.
