NEW YORK — The hunt for Knicks tickets has created a cutthroat Hunger Games-like competition during this week’s NBA Finals. But Hollywood stars and Wall Streeters pursuing “Celebrity Row” seats at Madison Square Garden should be forewarned: There are some unofficial rules to scoring the ultimate in luxury, courtside seats, say sources.
As the Knicks and Spurs face off at the World’s Most Famous Arena, they’ll be flanked by a few dozen camera-friendly seats that have become known for hosting A-Listers like Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee, Kylie Jenner, Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, and Fat Joe.
A pass inside the rarefied air of Celebrity Row comes with perks—lots of perks—for the rich and famous. They get their own entrance and elevators, so they don’t have to rub elbows with blue-collar bridge and tunnel hoops fans. They become part of ABC’s coverage as they react to big moments or dodge a lunging Jalen Brunson. Before and after the game, these lucky few get access to MSG’s near-mythical “Suite 200,” where they enjoy the finest food and booze while mingling with each other.
“It’s very similar to the way the President’s box works in the U.S. Open. It’s invitation only,” says Joe Favorito, the former Knicks PR chief-turned-sports media consultant.
An inscrutable MSG declines to comment on the process for deciding which movie stars, singers, and comedians get comped courtside–and who are turned away. But interviews with former Garden executives and other sources reveal there’s a method to MSG’s madness.
Nothing is spelled out in black and white. But there are some unofficial rules governing Celebrity Row. Beware. If you break them, you could run afoul of Jim Dolan, the Knicks mercurial billionaire owner, as well as the internal team that decides who makes the list–and who’s left empty-handed.
Stay in Your Seat
The Garden is famous for the care and feeding of celebrity clientele. But don’t take its largesse for granted. If you make it to Celebrity Row, you’re expected to mostly remain in your seat—within camera range—until the end of the game.
Supermodels Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk committed the cardinal sin of leaving their comped seats early during a blowout. Guess what? The Knicks stormed back to beat the Heat. When Ratajkowski asked for free Rangers tickets later, the Garden turned her down flat. “She was offered, and is welcome, to buy great seats at any time,” a spokesperson told the New York Post.
To give the beautiful people a nudge that it’s time to return to the hardwood, Suite 200 will flash the lights and stop service before tipoff time and the start of the second half. “They close down the hospitality stuff before the game starts—so people have to go to their seats,” says Favorito. “It’s much more like a Broadway show than Yankee Stadium.”
Play Ball
Nothing really comes for free at this Eighth Avenue intersection of sports, entertainment, and business. There’s a quid pro quo at work here. If celebs get comped seats, they’re expected to appear on camera and wave to fans on the jumbotron, film promotional videos, or support the Garden of Dreams charity.
Four-time Oscar winner Woody Allen may have found out the hard way what happens when you bend the rules. The die-hard Knicks fan had enjoyed the fruits of Suite 200 for years. But Dolan allegedly banned the director from the VIP clubhouse after he declined to do promotions for MSG Network.
Don’t Give Away Your Seats
Don’t even think of trying to give away, or sell, seats controlled by MSG. Favorito says Celebrity Row functions more like a VIP club than a traditional sporting event. If you’re on the list, you’re golden.
But MSG is not happy when invited guests try to play games. “I think you run a tremendous risk, even for a regular season game, if those tickets aren’t going into the hands of who’s supposed to get them,” warns Favorito.
Knicks Fans Only
The Garden is not interested in just any celebrity. They want people like Stiller and Chris Rock, who’ve demonstrated their loyalty to the Knicks. As former MSG executive Chris Weiller tells the New York Times: “How deep a fan you are has a lot to do with it.”
Most Celebrity Row seats are controlled by the Garden. But not all. The NBA gets an allotment. Big Hollywood studios, talent agencies and blue-chip sponsors buy some of their own. Ditto for famed director Spike Lee, who admitted to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith he “looks stupid” for spending millions on Knicks tickets over the decades. But the Garden curates the entire process. So good luck seeking Celebrity Row seats on your own.
Take the mad scramble for tickets this week as the Knicks seek their first NBA title in 53 years. The scarcity of tickets is driving prices for Games 3 and 4 to astronomical levels. MSG just announced a pair of Celebrity Row tickets for Game 3 fetched a whopping $1 million at a charity auction.
One last tip: Be careful about criticizing Dolan’s management decisions. Actor Ethan Hawke told Bill Simmons he was cut off from the Celebrity Row gravy train for publicly questioning Dolan’s coaching hires.
But Favorito doesn’t blame MSG. After all, if the Garden’s willing to entertain beautiful people like Hawke on its own dime, they expect some appreciation.
“Whether it’s the Knicks or the Garden, you’re there as a guest,” Favorito says “I don’t think you go to a party and all of a sudden take shots at people.”
