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New York Knicks fans aren’t the only ones suffering the consequences of Donald Trump deciding to become the first sitting US President to attend an NBA Finals game. Local businesses are, too.
Ahead of Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, the NYPD — having already canceled watch-parties outside Madison Square Garden and telling ticket-holding fans to arrive two hours prior to tip-off — announced that multiple blocks around MSG will be closed starting at 4 p.m.
“Tonight is Game 3 of the NBA finals – an exciting time for New York City – and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the game safely. With tonight’s presidential visit, there will be extra security measures in and around MSG that the NYPD and Secret Service have planned together,” the NYPD said in a statement.
“Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be closed from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue,” they confirmed.
That’s a 5-block stretch north-south (30th to 35th) and a 2-avenue stretch east-west (6th to 8th) — making roughly a 10-block perimeter surrounding MSG, which sits at 7th Avenue and 33rd Street.
Local businesses will be missing out on money and commuters will be thrown into chaos due to President Trump attending Game 3 of the NBA Finals
The kicker, however, is that “no one” will be allowed inside the area unless you “have a ticket to the game, a train ticket, are going to a business inside the area, have credentials, or have some other authorized reason to be there,” according to the NYPD.
While the NYPD does state that patrons of local businesses will be able to enter, the heightened security will undoubtedly restrict the otherwise free-flowing area and will deter potential customers who do not want to deal with the TSA-style precautions to simply go to a bar or restaurant.
Security wall outside around MSG pic.twitter.com/mXk87a1P2B
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) June 8, 2026
Not only is Trump’s attendance an inconvenience to both fans, workers, and commuters in the area, but it’s also a brutal blow to the local bars and restaurants who could’ve had one of their most profitable nights ever.
lol imagine being one of the thousand bars inside this zone having your night of the year shut down https://t.co/zAD1AcZvXA
— JokerMakeupJacobite 🇮🇪👹🐋🐢🌹🇺🇦🇵🇸 (@ClwnPrncCharlie) June 8, 2026
Hard to fathom how much money local bars will lose from this.
It could’ve easily been their biggest profit night ever. https://t.co/c0bDNjaz2S
— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) June 8, 2026
local bars around the arena taking a hit, eliminating the community aspect of the game, causing chaos in the busiest train station in the world a day after a knife attack there, excellent job to everyone involved truly https://t.co/KF62WFNfMv
— kayla says (@KaylaSaysMore) June 8, 2026
Fans and businesses aren’t alone, as commuter traffic coming into and out of Penn station are also being put out. Penn Station sees approximately 500,000 passengers pass through on a given weekday — roughly 435,000 train riders across LIRR, NJ Transit, and Amtrak, plus additional foot traffic from the surrounding area. The evening rush is the busiest period, with the bulk of that commuter traffic concentrated between about 4-8 p.m.
With the NYPD’s security perimeter covering the blocks directly surrounding Penn Station, tens of thousands of evening commuters trying to catch trains home will have to navigate TSA-style checkpoints just to get to their platform — regardless of whether they have a Knicks ticket.
It’s difficult for people who’ve never been at MSG outside of a major sporting event to understand just how many people pass through the area. I was at UFC 205 back in 2016 — the first UFC fight at Madison Square Garden and the night Conor McGregor became the first fighter in the promotion’s history to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously — and 7th ave was so full with pedestrians that cars couldn’t pass through. People were spilling in and out of bars five, six, seven blocks past where MSG is actually located. And it could be argued that the first Knicks Finals game in the city in 27 years is a bigger event than that.