When Knicks Are On, New York’s Dealmakers Turn Off

Ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals last Friday, a midlevel associate at a global law firm received a surprising email. It was from his partner, who wanted him to know an assignment could wait until the next day. 

“‘This doesn’t need to be done tonight, enjoy the game,’” the private-equity attorney—who wished to remain anonymous—recalls the message saying. “We barely see that kind of leniency for federal holidays. … It’s gotten to the point where [coworkers and I] are sending emails back and forth just to make sure our WiFi is working.” 

As the Knicks vie for their first NBA title since 1973, law and finance professionals tell Front Office Sports that the historic playoff run has provided some rare moments of relief from New York’s famously relentless work culture.

Throughout the postseason—which began for the Knicks on April 18—sources say their inboxes have gotten leaner and some requests have less urgency.

The change isn’t because business has slowed; it’s because the executives, partners, and clients who dictate the pace of New York’s professional class are just as consumed by the possibility of a Knicks championship as everyone else. 

“Deal activity has stayed strong for us even during the Knicks’ incredible playoff run. However, texts and emails don’t get returned as quickly during the games, and almost no one calls,” says Charles Baker, co-chair of the entertainment, sports, and media group at Sidley Austin LLP, another global law firm. 

Deal flow hasn’t stopped for financial firms, either. But according to Stan Gregor, CEO of wealth-management firm Summit Financial, the Knicks’ run has shifted the “cadence and tone” of business interactions. Things are “more relaxed, more human,” he says, thanks to the “shared point of connection” that is the team’s success.

“At the end of the day, moments like this remind you that business doesn’t operate in a vacuum,” Gregor adds. “Culture drives attention, and attention drives relationships, and that’s ultimately what this business is built on.”

Alongside celebrities, top business brass are among the few who can actually afford the record-breaking get-in prices at Madison Square Garden. (Baker says he will be attending Game 4 with a client.) With bosses in corporate luxury suites, junior staff are free to tune in to Knicks games with less imperative to check their work devices—a luxury.  

“I remember during the Yankees’ 2024 World Series, I would go to bars to watch the games and still feel like I needed to have my laptop out and be working a little bit,” says the anonymous attorney. “Now, it’s almost like I can leave my computer at home.”

Sean Keogan, owner of corporate-after-hours destination Daltons, says his Hell’s Kitchen bar has consistently been rammed several hours before the start of each Knicks playoff game. “No office work is being done,” he says. “It’s all about the Knicks.” 

A spokesperson for Delmonico’s, a fine-dining restaurant in the Financial District, tells FOS it has seen a marked increase in demand for private dining rooms over the last month—often from corporate groups looking to watch games together.

The Knicks haven’t appeared in the NBA Finals since 1999, so the rarity of the moment has turned games into one of the few occasions capable of overriding the always-on expectation for New York’s dealmakers.

If the team can finish the job this time around, New York might not be eager to return to business—at least not so fast. “I can see a lot of offices hosting celebrations or letting employees step out to take in the championship parade,” says the attorney. “But if we lose, it’s just going to be back to work.”