Veteran New York Knicks wing Josh Hart is a man of the people.
A few days after U.S. President Donald Trump made light of the astronomical NBA Finals ticket prices, Hart said he sympathized with Knicks fans who can’t shell out $7,000 to $8,000 to watch them from the nosebleeds at Madison Square Garden.
“I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are,” Hart said on Sunday ahead of Game 3 versus the San Antonio Spurs.
“I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time, unfortunately, aren’t able to get into the building, when the cheapest ticket is $7,000 or $8,000. So that’s ridiculous.”
Hart acknowledged that the atmosphere at MSG — which will host an NBA Finals game for the first time since 1999 — will be “rocking,” but wishes the tickets were “a little cheaper” so families from lower-income households could attend.
NBA Finals Ticket Prices
Elsewhere, Knicks guard Jose Alvarado had a more pragmatic response to the question of NBA Finals ticket prices being unaffordable for many fans.
“I see it’s $11,000 [each], I say no,” Alvarado said, via New York Post.
“They know the love. They know what it is. [But] it’s a lot of money … I ain’t doing that. I tell you that much.
“It’s a good thing and a bad thing,” he continued. “That means we got a fanbase that’s willing to do anything to come out and see us and we’re grateful for that. … We’re just seeing what we can do because not a lot of people can afford that. … I’m gonna throw a watch party for my neighborhood [in Williamsburg]. Just improvise and be grateful for the situation we’re in. That’s what New York is all about.”
What Donald Trump Said…
Trump, who will be in attendance for Game 3, turned heads with his comments about NBA Finals ticket prices last week.
“That’s just the way life is,” he said of Knicks fans not being able to afford tickets.
“You can watch it on television. It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television,” he added, highlighting that ABC was a free-to-air network station.
“That’s the way life goes,” Trump continued. “Now, if the team wasn’t a big success, you could go very easily. That’s just the way life is.”
While scores of New Yorkers intend to boo Trump on Monday, the NBA and the Knicks organization plan to lay out the red carpet for the POTUS — a lifelong Knicks fan. Last week, commissioner Adam Silver spoke at length about Trump’s fandom for the Knicks.
“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said of Trump.
“I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days. He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden, and he actually appeared in one of our ‘I love this Game’ spots when I was running NBA Entertainment years ago.”
Knicks vs Spurs Game 3 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
Knicks Star Reacts After Donald Trump Mocks Priced Out Fans in NBA Finals