Knicks Owner James Dolan Puts Zohran Mamdani On Blast Before Game 4
New York Knicks owner James Dolan is putting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on blast before Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The Knicks and Madison Square Garden are not happy with the security put in place for Game 4. The area around Madison Square Garden will have the same security put in place as Game 3, when President Trump was in attendance. Businesses around Madison Square Garden will be hurt and fans will be subject to long and annoying lines.
"Mayor Mamdani's ‘granting' of a watch party permit is disingenuous at best," MSG said in a statement released just hours before Game 4. "It came with multiple conditions, including not allowing more than 1,000 spectators and demanding that they all must have a ticket. But more important is the Mayor's plan to freeze out fans from celebrating outside Madison Square Garden, which will turn the streets around MSG into a police state."
"We wish everyone could see the games live. Watch parties and public celebrations are a way for every Knicks fan to enjoy this special time. These fans want to celebrate together. They want to celebrate at the Mecca of basketball."
Prior to tipoff at Game 4, Knicks owner James Dolan took to the airwaves, to put the Mayor of New York City on blast.
Knicks owner puts Mamdani on blast
Dolan appeared on the radio with Craig Carton.
"I don't think they have faith in their own police force. We do! We know they know what they're doing. Honestly, the mayor's office and the commissioner [Jessica Tisch] do not have the experience to do this. They've never managed anything like this before. It's like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich [with the ingredients] coming out the sides," he said.
"This is not really about a watch party. We put up two fairly decent sized screens. I don't think you can get much more than 1,000 people that will see them. This about celebrating the Knicks at MSG at the mecca of basketball. This is what the mayor and commissioner's office are trying to tell. They don't want the celebration!"
Tipoff at Game 4 is set for 8:30 p.m. E.T.
The game will air on ABC.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 1:20 PM.