Knicks, Spurs NBA Finals tickets reach shocking $107,000 at MSG
The storylines are abundant in the NBA Finals, ranging from the Big East presence in the starting lineups to the Spurs going for their sixth title in team history, led by Victor Wembanyama.
Another is the Knicks returning to the NBA finals for the first time since 1999 after a long and circuitous route back to prominence.
And related to the Knicks attempting to win their third NBA title and first since 1973 is the demand to see those games in person, resulting in massive ticket prices and certainly significantly higher than in 1999 and 1994.
What are some of the prices for games at MSG?
During the fourth straight strong regular season, the average ticket price for a Knicks home game bought directly from the MSG box office was still pricey, with many tickets starting at $100.
As the playoffs continued, prices rose among season ticket holders and on the secondary market.
According to one reddit user with season tickets for the past five seasons, prices were $280 in the first round, $375 for the second round, $585 for the conference finals and $925 for the NBA finals. I
If the Knicks played every possible home game through the four rounds, it would be 15 games, and the price for this Reddit poster would have been $7,735 for admission to the building alone.
The Knicks' first home game will be next Monday when they host Game 3.
It will be the Knicks' first NBA finals game at MSG since June 25, 1999, when the Spurs clinched the title with a 78-77 victory despite a valiant 35-point showing from Latrell Sprewell, who is among the former players frequently introduced to crowds at MSG.
Prices will be high, but cost may be determined by how the first two games in San Antonio unfold. Potential buyers will likely face the highest prices if the Knicks win the first two games, though the price might not be much lower if the series returns to New York in a 1-1 tie.
As of Monday afternoon and two days before the series starts, a quick perusal of sites produces results such as Stubhub shows $4,311 for one ticket behind the basket in the upper level, or $5,264 for a seat in the 300 level, or $5,518 for a seat at about center court in the part of the 200 level near where radio broadcasts originate from in the building.
On Tickpick, which does not charge fees to buyers, the first listing is described as a "budget deal" of $5,023 to sit in section 213, which is a few sections over from the pressbox where beat writers cover the game from.
Other listings include $4,539 for seats in section 419, and if you'd like to sit closer to the action, $20,184 can get you a seat in section one behind the basket on the same folding chair someone might have sat in when the area was used as the student section for St. John's games.
Other secondary ticketing providers are SeatGeek and Vivid Seats, and those prices are similar.
On SeatGeek, $4,258 is listed as the cheapest seat for two tickets in section 416, which is behind the basket. Sitting center court will cost someone $6,645 for tickets in the first row section five near the scorer's table and between both benches will cost a whopping $107,000, though if you want to sit four rows further away, that "only" costs about $51,000
On Vivid Seats, $4,026 gets someone into section 416. Using Vivid Seats, a floor ticket can be found for roughly $42,000, and another floor section costs about $80,000.
These prices will likely fluctuate, but if the series returns to New York for Game 6 and a chance for the Knicks to clinch the title, expect prices to be even higher.
Why are ticket prices so high?
The biggest reason is the Knicks returning for their first finals games since 1999. While prices might have been high if they were NBA finals regulars like the Warriors from 2015 through 2019, there's a good chance some prices might be lower if this were the third or fourth straight NBA finals appearance for the Knicks.
Another factor driving demand might be the presence of Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 star known as "The Alien."
Wembanyama's star power made him the second-most searched player at over 2.4 billion views according to NBA.com, and that was a study conducted after the regular season.
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Only LeBron James was searched for more times, and since Wembanyama is still playing, there's a good chance he might have more searches going on, and the combination of his stardom along with the Knicks offers a marquee matchup for the league and plenty of money changing hands on secondary ticketing platforms.
What did tickets cost in New York's other final appearances?
Since Madison Square Garden moved from its previous location at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street in 1968 to its current spot above Penn Station, the Knicks have played 14 NBA finals games in 1970, 1972, 1973, 1994, and 1999.
Prices were starting to explode for many sporting events during the 1990s, and in 1999, a courtside ticket to the NBA finals cost $2,500. Five years earlier, when the Knicks and Rangers were trying to win titles, prices ranged from $125 in the lower levels to $35 in the 400s.
If you want to see low-cost tickets for these games, then 1970 is your year. According to a listing on eBay, a ticket in section 108 for a 1970 NBA finals game was priced at $12.50, and in an article in the New York Times in 1970, the Knicks priced other tickets at $10, $7.50, and $5.
Ticketing has evolved in terms of price, and for the average fan, it means more games are seen in the comforts of home while arena and stadium visits become less frequent over time as the common fan row gets replaced by celebrity and high-roller rows.
Related: Knicks' Took Bizarre, Decades-Long Journey Back to Finals
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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 5:05 PM.