There will be no unvaccinated individuals at Madison Square Garden in the future if the New York Knicks defeat the Atlanta Hawks in their first-round series and advance in the playoffs.
The Knicks stated on Friday that tickets for games at MSG will only be offered to vaccinated fans if they advance to the playoffs’ second round.
Game 5 of the New York Knicks’ NBA playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, slated for June 5, has sold out, according to the team. This comes after Game 1, when the Knicks welcomed over 15,000 fans, and Game 2, when they raised capacity to over 16,000 by expanding seating for fully vaccinated supporters. The two games attracted the greatest indoor crowds in New York since the outbreak began. Given the positive response to the vaccination regulations, the team has declared that if they proceed through round one, tickets will only be offered to fully vaccinated persons.
“The energy our Knicks fans have brought to the playoffs has been incredible — proving there’s nothing more exciting than Knicks basketball at The Garden,” said David Hopkinson, EVP, MSG Sports and President, Team Business Operations. “It’s moments like this that show us what’s possible if everyone gets vaccinated — we’ll all be able to get back to doing what we love — and that definitely includes being together to cheer on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.”
Fully vaccinated fans accounted for more than 90% of attendance at the Knicks’ first two playoff games, according to the statement, and were seated in sections that did not require social distancing or masks. Fans who have not been vaccinated have been seated in a socially separated and masked portion of the arena.
According to MSG.com, there are three ways for spectators to “show they are eligible to attend an event” at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks announce that, if they advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, they will sell tickets in the next round exclusively to fans who are fully vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/fgJ958rOn7
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 28, 2021
- Proof of vaccination
- Proof of negative antigen COVID-19 test taken within six hours of the event start time OR
- Proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the day of the event
Madison Square Garden has been rocking in the first playoff games since 2012, and although it’s been a sight to behold, it’s also been fraught with problems.
A Knicks fan was banned indefinitely from MSG on Wednesday night after it was discovered that he spit on Atlanta’s star point guard Trae Young. Following the discovery, the Knicks issued the following statement:
We examined the situation and found that this non-season ticket holder did indeed spit on Trae Young, and as a result, he has been permanently barred from The Garden. For this fan’s actions, we apologize to Trae and the whole Hawks organization. This was utterly unacceptable, and it will not be accepted in our establishment. The information has been sent to the appropriate authorities.
The spitting incident occurs only one game after Knicks supporters were chastised for chanting “F*** Trae Young” throughout the first game. Over the last decade, New York basketball fans haven’t had much to rejoice about, and they’ve taken full advantage of it.
Win one playoff game and we don’t know how to act LMFAO pic.twitter.com/bks9pHcyiH
— Maggio (@kylemaggio) May 27, 2021
The Daily Wire’s Sports Reporter is Joe Morgan. Morgan most recently worked for Sporting News, where he covered the Clippers, Lakers, and NBA. [email protected] is the place to send your sports inquiries.
Sources: Dailywire.com, MSG.com
