Over the years, iconic New York-based comedian Jerry Seinfeld has been a staple in the celebrity row courtside at New York Knicks games.
As such, it shouldn’t shock anyone if Seinfeld is present at Madison Square Garden for the biggest Knicks home game of the 21st century: Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. However, a wild, unsubstantiated rumor suggests that Seinfeld was denied access to purchase courtside seats.
“Sources tell us Jerry Seinfeld was not allowed to purchase courtside tickets for Game 3. Money was not the issue according to our insider,” wrote the X account of the “This Podcast is Making Me Thirsty” podcast — a show dedicated to Seinfeld’s ’90s sitcom.
Is the Jerry Seinfeld Rumor Credible?
It’s worth noting that the podcast has previously featured interviews with several crew and cast members of the hit NBC show, including producer Tim Kaiser, the late Tawny Kitaen (who made a cameo in “The Nose Job” episode), Matt McCoy (the original Lloyd Braun in Season 4), John O’Hurley (who portrayed J. Peterman), casting director Marc Hirschfeld and Susan Walters (Dolores/Mulva), among others.
As such, the podcast definitely seems to have a behind-the-scenes connection with the show. Still, though, as with any rumor, it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Jerry Seinfeld: Lifelong Knicks Fan
Seinfeld was last seen courtside at MSG earlier this year when the Knicks hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 4. He attended the game alongside tennis legend John McEnroe, WBD CEO David Zaslav and fellow comedian JB Smoove.
He also attended a game against the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 31, seated with his family next to New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey.
Last year, Seinfeld was involved in a controversial incident outside Madison Square Garden after Game 4 of the Knicks versus the Boston Celtics second-round playoff series. When heckled by an anti-Israel protester, Seinfeld reportedly laughed and said, “Only you,” according to Fox Sports.
Seinfeld was also courtside when the Knicks last made it to the NBA Finals in 1999.
Knicks Eye 3-0 NBA Finals Lead
The Knicks are 1.5-point betting favorites to claim a commanding 3-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Monday. By doing so, they will almost guarantee themselves their first NBA championship since 1973, as no team has ever rallied back from a 3-0 deficit. Furthermore, the Spurs are already behind the eight-ball after dropping their first two home games, as no team has ever recovered from such a hole in NBA history.
Karl-Anthony Towns, though, has urged his teammates to play “desperate” and not take the moment for granted as the NBA Finals return to MSG for the first time since 1999.
“We got to be desperate for these fans.” Towns said on Sunday.
“Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give them something to cheer for, give them something to get loud for and also give them something to believe in.”
Knicks vs Spurs Game 3 tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
Wild Jerry Seinfeld Rumor Drops Ahead of Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game 3