U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend Monday night’s NBA Finals Game 3, triggering a massive security lockdown around Madison Square Garden.
Due to POTUS’s attendance, security has added extra fan restrictions and multiple road closures, reshaping the game-day experience.
There’s a “strict no-bag policy” announced by the Knicks, advising fans to bring limited “personal items to an absolute minimum” and expect “TSA-style screening procedures.”
In TSA-style checking, individuals are required to verify their identity, pass through body scanners, and have all personal belongings X-rayed.
Officials urged attendees to arrive at least two hours before the 8:30 p.m. tip-off.
A 10-square-block security perimeter is also established by the Secret Service and NYPD with anti-scale fencing, vehicle mitigation barriers, and countersniper teams.
Secret Service chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi said, “Attendees will notice a significant and highly visible law enforcement presence.”
Plaza33’s watch party in the outdoors was scrapped owing to security coordination with the Secret Service. But Mayor Zohran Mamdani organised another watch party at Bryant Park, located half a mile away, which is free for the first 5,000 registered fans.
Mamdani, who bought his own standing room only tickets, stated that he would be sitting in a “very different section than Trump.” President Trump had been invited by the Knicks owner Jim Dolan, and it’s not clear whether Trump is paying for his tickets or getting freebies.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
2026-06-09 01:13:00
