Knicks fans will save money by flying to San Antonio for NBA Finals games instead of buying MSG tickets
New York Knicks fans will save money by flying to San Antonio to attend the NBA Finals game instead of buying tickets to the game at Madison Square Garden.
As of publication, the cheapest tickets for a Knicks home game at MSG are selling for around $4,000 each. CNN highlighted the imbalance on Wednesday, just hours before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
“It would be cheaper [to fly to San Antonio for a game],” analyst Matt Egan said. “You can get a hotel for a couple of nights in San Antonio for $600. You can fly round trip for $700, and you can go to not only Game 1, but Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio. You'll still come out ahead by spending about $3,100, less than the nearly $4,000 to see them in New York.”
And as a bonus, you'll get a few days in Texas instead of New York.
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Knicks fans celebrate winning the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York City on May 25, 2026. The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
According to Egan, some Knicks fans have already done that calculation. Ticket data shows that 30% of Game 2 purchases in San Antonio came from shoppers in New York ZIP codes.
By comparison, the cheapest seats for Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio are listed at around $750 and $1,100, respectively.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that Celebrity Row courtside seats at MSG are listed for up to $220,000 each.
“Even rich fans are fading,” Sal Galatioto, president of investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners, told reporters. “I'm a big Knicks fan. Would I spend $100,000 to see a game? Oh well. Even if you're holding a gun for me.”
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Knicks fans celebrate their team's victory in the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York City on May 25, 2026. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
The impressive numbers reflect the excitement surrounding the Knicks' first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999. They could go even higher if the series reaches Game 6, which will be played at Madison Square Garden.
For all the (rightful) criticism the NBA has received in recent years, there is a genuine excitement surrounding these Finals games. Apart from Knick's long-awaited return, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has emerged as one of the best young players in this league as he is only 22 years old.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama dunks during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 30, 2026. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“The NBA Finals at the Garden has a Super Bowl moment, price-wise,” Matt Ferrel, TickPick's head of marketing, told CNN.
“I've never seen anything like this.”
Like the Super Bowl earlier this year, President Donald Trump says he plans to attend the NBA Finals at MSG, possibly Game 3.
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“I think I'm going to one of the games,” Trump said. “I've been invited by many people, too [James Dolan]and I think I'll go.”
The Knicks are under +155 in the series.
