Want to see an NBA game in New York? You've come to the right place! I had the chance to go see a game at the Madison Square Garden during my last trip and the atmosphere was just crazy 🤩 Whether you are on holiday in New York City or on a business trip, you absolutely have to go see a basketball game during your stay – especially if you happen to be there during the NBA championship 🏀 It really is an amazing experience with a great atmosphere – in short, a show not to be missed!
In this article, you will find all you need to know about access to the games, prices, but also the dates of the next New York Knicks games as well as how to get tickets 😊
Where to buy your NBA tickets in New York City?
Unsurprisingly, there are only two ways to buy a ticket to see an NBA game in New York City:
- You can either buy your tickets on the internet, or
- You can buy your tickets directly on the spot – at the Madison Square Garden’s ticket office for the New York Knicks, for example 🙂
But let me tell you right now, the NBA is a major event and tickets usually sell out very quickly. Actually, as soon as the ticket offices open in August, thousands of tickets are sold in just a few hours! Therefore, I strongly recommend buying your tickets online as soon as you know your travel dates to New York City. Otherwise, there will be very little chance for you to find affordable tickets on the day of the game or a few days before.
To buy your NBA tickets, I definitely recommend the Hellotickets website, which specialises in selling tickets for NBA games, concerts, musicals and other sporting events.
You will be able to choose your tickets according to the seats you want and the remaining availability. You will also be able to choose your seat location, see the different options available to you and have the option to specify that you want a side-by-side seating arrangement (if you are taking 2 or 4 tickets, for example). The website is in English (though you can select the language of your choice should you prefer another) and you will be able to easily see where the seats you want are, thanks to Hellotickets’ interactive stadium map 🙂
2022-2023 NBA season schedule for the New York Knicks
The NBA schedule for the 2022-2023 season is finally out! Therefore, since August 17, 2022, it is possible to book your tickets for the current NBA season 😀
New York Knicks games will start on October 14, 2022 (with two preseason games starting on October 04, 2022).
Here's how the 2022-2023 NBA season will play out and its different phases:
Phases | Dates |
|---|---|
Pre-season | 1 to 14 October 2022 |
Regular season | 18 October 2022 to 9 April 2023 |
Playoffs | 17 April 2023 to early June 2023 |
Finals | June 2023 |
Other games are organised during the year, such as the All Star Game. This annual game pits the best players from the Eastern Conference against those from the Western Conference. This season, the competition took place on 19 February 2023 in Salt Lake City, and the winners were the Eastern Conference players led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (a famous player of the Milwaukee Bucks).
The Christmas Games, held on Christmas Eve, are also big sporting events for Americans.How to buy NBA tickets in New York City?
Buy your NBA ticket for a Knicks game on the day itself
You can buy your tickets directly from the sports hall ticket offices. But beware: looking for a ticket last minute does not guarantee you will find one 😥
Tickets to see the Knicks sell like hotcakes – only the most expensive seats (or the seats that are often rather badly situated) remain for sale. So avoid going there at the last moment, and purchase your tickets well in advance instead – even several weeks before, if possible! It's best to book your seats early, because the demand is quite high: you are in New York City!
So really, buying tickets on the spot is a risky gamble that I advise you not to take! 😅
Buy your NBA ticket for a Knicks game on the internet
In the same way that you have carefully planned your trip to New York City, I recommend that you book your tickets in advance, as soon as you know your travel dates to New York. You'll be sure to find seats, pay a good price and, if you’re going with others, there’ll be enough availability for you to be all placed together. Not to mention that it will save you time in the queue at the entrance (time which can be better spent exploring the city 😉).
Warning: never buy your ticket from the scalpers near the stadiums! You can never know if the tickets are fake or not and it is illegal besides. Indeed, New York law prohibits the resale of tickets within 460 metres of a stadium. Unlawful resale can be punishable by fine and/or imprisonment!
When you buy your tickets online, you will immediately receive confirmation of your booking in your mailbox.
Your tickets can be PDFs to be printed and presented at the reception, or tickets containing QR codes to be scanned on your mobile phone and also presented on the D-day 🙂
How much does an NBA ticket in New York City cost?
People often ask me how much a ticket to see the Knicks in New York City costs! My answer: it’s hard to say for sure... It will depend on your seats, on the period of the NBA season (a preseason game costs much less than a finals game) but also on the team that will play against the Knicks.
Overall, I would say that the average price of an NBA ticket to see the Kicks in New York is between £60 and £265. Of course, I'm talking about zone 2 tickets, because zone 1 is often prohibitively expensive!
Below, you will find some examples of prices applicable on average for the different phases of the season.
Phases | Prices | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
Pre-season match | Seats cost between $30 and $80
For $100, you'll get a great seat. |
|
Regular season | $80 minimum Up to $300 for a big game |
|
Playoffs | $1,000 minimum Seats are often taken by fans and subscribers |
|
*Note that at Madison Square Garden, children must have a ticket from the age of 1, while at Barclays Center, seats are free for children under 86 cm.
However, if you dream of attending an NBA game but are on a budget, here are a couple of tips to save some money 😉:
- Opt for a seat behind the basket: as this area is somewhat obstructed by the basket, the price of these seats (both near or far from the court) is always more affordable than seats on the side.
- Choose less prestigious teams: in general, tickets to see the Brooklyn Nets play are a little cheaper than tickets to see the New York Knicks play, as the Brooklyn Nets team is less prestigious.
- Book your seats in advance: if you book your seat in advance, you will be able to choose the location of your seats, which won’t be possible if you book at the last minute!
Prefer the e-tickets
Preferably opt for an electronic ticket! Why? First, because it's more practical (your ticket being in digital format, you will not lose it for it will be in your mailbox); and second, because you can save even more money this way! Indeed, sending the physical tickets to your home via a delivery service such as the Post Office or FedEx costs around $40 (£30), whereas the delivery fee for e-tickets is $8 on average (£6).
And don't worry: e-tickets are sent via a secure system (FlashSeats). It protects the barcode of your ticket from being hacked and resold! If you haven't received your tickets a few days before your departure, simply contact the company that sold them to you so that they can email them to you and you can print them.Which websites to buy tickets from?
From the UK, you can buy your tickets directly on Hellotickets for all the games of the NBA 2022-2023 season. Prices are in pounds (which can avoid bank charges and the like).
You can also look for private deals on Viagogo: some people like to buy tickets then sell them later to make some profit. Sometimes you can get a great deal – when someone can't go to the match as planned and sells their ticket at the last minute to save money, for example!When to buy your ticket?
As early as possible! Book your seats as soon as you know your travel dates to New York City! 😀 And if you stay several days in the city, you will have the choice between many basketball games.
Above all, you will be able to peacefully choose your seats’ location from home, and of course enjoy the best prices.
Which seats to choose?
At the time of booking, you can choose your seat by clicking on the seat map. Not only will you see which seats are still available, but also the prices for each section. No matter where your seat is, attending an NBA game will be an unforgettable experience!
Still, some seats are better than others 😉 The best ones are the courtside seats! But don’t worry, even if your seats are at the top of the venue, the visibility will be just as good. Things also vary depending on the venue.
- The best seats at Madison Square Garden: in this iconic NYC venue, favour zones 1 to 12. Even if your seat is behind the basket, you will still be able to fully enjoy the game! Zones 101 to 120 are also very popular as they are higher up and you will be able to follow the game better.
- The best seats at the Barclays Center: zones 1 to 31.
Where to see an NBA game in New York City?
In New York City, you can watch an NBA game either at Madison Square Garden or at the Barclays Center. To me, it's a must-see activity, especially if you don't yet know what to do in New York City during your stay 😉
Madison Square Garden (MSG)
The MSG is an iconic venue in New York City, and being there truly makes for an unforgettable experience! With its cylindrical shape, it's impossible to pass by without noticing it! In fact, don't hesitate to visit it during your stay in NYC.
This gigantic hall (19,000 game seats) has a layout that allows it to host many events. On basketball game days, a special floor is installed for the occasion.
The Madison Square Garden has hosted some great basketball games in New York City, but also some fabulous concerts (The Beatles, Michael Jackson...) and unforgettable boxing matches (Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali...)
How to get there? The MSG is located at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, in the heart of Manhattan, next to "Penn Station". The best way to get there is to take the New York Subway System:
- lines A, C or E and get off at 34 Penn Station (8th Avenue)
- lines 1, 2, 3 and get off at 34 Street-Penn Station (7th Avenue)
Barclays Center
The Barclays Center is also a very nice stadium, according to some New Yorkers (I haven't had the chance to go there yet 👀). The venue is said to be even better designed than Madison Square Garden and can also seat 19,000 spectators. To get to the Barclays Center, you have to go to 620 Atlantic Avenue in the Brooklyn borough – 5 minutes from Times Square by underground. From Manhattan, take the B underground to the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center stop.
The Barclays Center is not only home to the Nets, but also to an NBA women's basketball team, the New York Liberty, as well as a hockey team, the New York Islanders.
Concerts (Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Rihanna...) and shows are also often organised there.
If you can't make it to New York to see a game, you can still watch it from your TV. The best way to do so is to take out a subscription (NBA League Pass) on the NBA official website. You will be able to access the game summaries, get to know the teams, the players (size, nation of origin...), compare them to each other, see the best moments and discover a whole bunch of statistics 🙂
Tips & advice for Game Day
- Try to arrive 45 minutes to an hour before the game: this will give you time to go to the ticket office, to be searched by security staff and to buy food, even.
- There are plenty of pizza and hot dog vendors in the corridors of the MSG.... but given the prices inside, I would recommend buying what you need a few blocks away from the stadium! You can also take advantage of your presence at the stadium to buy a souvenir: t-shirt, jersey, caps, ball... and many other goodies 😉
- Don't forget that if you arrive early, you will be able to watch the players' training and discover the pre-game atmosphere: you will see a video introducing the players, watch their entrance into the room and listen to the American national anthem sung by a local star
- Pre-games are, in my opinion, almost as important as the basketball game itself: there are dancers, surprises, music and a great atmosphere. There are also a lot of downtimes during the game, which are filled with entertainments that are not to be missed 🤩
- Professional cameras, tripods, selfie sticks and laptops are not allowed inside the MSG. However, you can bring a backpack with you.
Some information on the NBA
The NBA (National Basketball Association) is the largest basketball league in the world. Its championship is considered the most prestigious.
Which teams play in the NBA in New York City?
There are two NBA teams in New York: the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks are New York City’s favourite team. Even though they have only won two titles since the 1970s and are struggling to find better days, they are still a great team that has its great moments! The players train in Manhattan and play at Madison Square Garden, a mythical venue! Among the most famous players, I can name Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing or Willis Reed.
The other team that plays in New York is the Nets. The team’s players have been training in Brooklyn since 2012, and they play at the Barclays Center. The team has not won any NBA finals but has sparked interest since rapper Jay-Z became a minority owner of the club. Some of the most famous players on this team include Jason Kidd, Rick Barry and currently Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
When these two teams meet other prestigious American teams, it can make for some great games. Imagine yourself at Madison Square Garden watching an NBA game of the Brooklyn Nets, or a meeting between the Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics! What an incredible show to see! 🤩
How the NBA Championship works
30 teams, which are divided into two Conferences (Eastern Conference and Western Conference), have a pre-season during which Training Camps are organised. The aim is to prepare the players for the season – to observe and evaluate them. During the games, systems of play are also set up.
Then, the teams compete in a season called regular season. During this season, each team plays 82 matches (41 home + 41 away):
- against the teams within the same division,
- against every team from other divisions in the same conference,
- against every team from the other conference.
- the top eight teams in each conference (16 teams in total) then play each other during the playoffs.
Finally, the finals take place, in which the best team from both conferences compete.
The champion team of the NBA Finals is the team that wins four games first 🏆
That's it for this article on NBA tickets for the New York Knicks. I hope you found it useful and learned a bit more about the NBA. One thing to remember: if you are planning a trip to NYC, book your ticket for a game – you won't regret it! And if it's your first time visiting the city, check out my article on how to plan a trip to New York City, it should prove interesting 😊
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