New York Knicks Suspend Ticket Sales After Backlash Over ‘Mistake’ in Which Cheapest Seat Cost $1K

The New York Knicks admitted they did their fans wrong.

The cheapest tickets for the NBA World champions’ season opener at Madison Square Garden against the Philadelphia 76ers were listed at $1,000 on Wednesday, September 16, with average price being $2,500, per a September 17 report in the New York Post .

“A multibillion-dollar franchise pricing its own non-wealthy fans out of the Garden on a night the fanbase has been dreaming about for 50 years. Shameful,” wrote one X user, while another added, “TYPICAL. Those same loyal fans should stay home when they lose next year.”

Others pleaded for Mayor Zohran Mamdani to step in. “gotta hope Mamdani releases a lottery for Knicks tickets like he did for the World Cup,” wrote one.

But the team insisted it was an error.

“We are pausing Knicks individual ticket sales due to a mistake in our pricing,” an MSG spokesperson told the outlet. “We are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12 percent.”

“We will restart sales with new prices shortly, and anyone who already purchased individual tickets will be refunded the difference,” the statement continued. “Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans, and we thank everyone for their support of the Knicks and their patience as we get this right.”

A source insisted to the Post that the Knicks never intended to price-gouge after a season which saw the team, led by MVP and point guard Jalen Brunson, win their first title in 53 years. The playoffs regularly drew celebrities, including diehards like Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller.

There were also plenty of “casuals,” the Zoolander star noted on X, who left their very expensive seats empty halfway through the game when the team really needed support.