It’s been seven years since the Knicks made the playoffs, but now courtside seats at Madison Square Garden (particularly the coveted south side) are the place to be seen.
The Knicks take on the Celtics in Boston tonight at 7. But when they return to Madison Square Garden on Friday for Game 3, they’ll play to a front-row mix of celebrities, hedge funders, old timers — and, of course, Spike. Here’s who you’ll see if you turn your binoculars away from the game and onto the fans.
TICKETS
While long-suffering fans are rejoicing at the franchise’s resurgence led by high-wattage stars Ama’re Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, success comes with a price — courtside seats already go for a stratospheric $1,900 per game, and season tickets next year will see an average 50-percent price hike. Playoff tickets “on the wood” are already being hawked online for $10,450 for a fold-up seat, according to a spokeswoman for the ticket-resale Web site StubHub.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
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SPIKE LEE
The famed filmmaker fanatic — an on-the-floor fixture at every home game, wearing his game-worn Knicks jersey — has four courtside seats. Lee, 54, who often brings his son, Jackson, to games, has been a season ticket holder since retired Knick great Patrick Ewing was signed as a rookie in 1985. The born-and-bred Brooklynite is as fun to watch as the game, often inserting himself into the action. Though some Knicks fans blame him for egging on Reggie Miller in a 25-point fourth quarter in the 1995 playoffs, he’s since redeemed himself. Lee reportedly helped work behind the scenes to recruit former Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple in February. Last week, he attended the game with actor John Turturro and two other friends.
Anthony J. Causi
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THE LADIES
Anthony’s wife, reality-television star LaLa Anthony, 31, has become a regular at the Garden. She often sits underneath the west basket, next to owner James Dolan, and sometimes brings friends like Kim Kardashian. Amar’e Stoudemire’s current gal pal, singer Ciara, 25, often stalks the stands in stilettos, posing for pictures at halftime. The two women always sit courtside, said an MSG spokeswoman, but their seats change from game to game.
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KEVIN BOSS
The New York Giants tight end brought his wife to the game last week. The second-row tickets, near the west-end basket, were a generous gift from a friend who works at the Garden, he said. “I’m a transplanted Knicks fan,” said Boss, 27. “I grew up in Detroit as a Piston fan, so my favorite player is former Piston Chauncey Billups.”
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HOUSE SEATS
MSG reserves more than 20 prime seats to give for free to celebrities, in an effort to drum up excitement and publicity for the team. Six of the seats are courtside, and were used last week by actor Hugh Jackman and a relative, singer Kelly Rowland, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Williams, who came to the game with her son. SNL’s Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers, Regis Philbin and Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz were also guests of the Garden at last week’s Bulls game, and held court and posed for photos at halftime under the east-end basket.
Anthony J. Causi
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KNICKS CITY DANCERS
As Justin Bieber realizes, another benefit of courtside seats is getting up close with the Knicks City Dancers. The troupe was founded in 1992, and scoring one of the 20 slots on the team is a highly competitive sport in itself. One alum, Courtney Galiano, was one of the finalists on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
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EMMA BLOOMBERG
Mayor Bloomberg is a longtime season-ticket holder, and his two daughters often pick up the tickets when he’s too busy to attend a game. Last week, his eldest daughter, Emma, 31, who works at the Robin Hood Foundation, sat in Hizzoner’s seats with her family. She and hubby, investment banker Christopher Frissora (in striped shirt) took a second-row seat, and she let her sister-in-law, Tessa (blond hair), sit courtside with a friend. Bloomberg has long tried to help make the Knicks a winning franchise. Last year, he made a video to woo LeBron James, begging the star to “help write the next chapter in NYC basketball history.” James passed.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
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FRED KLEIN
Film director Spike Lee might be the celebrity mascot of the New York Knicks, but Fred Klein has been cheering for longer.
The former co-owner of the Carnegie Deli purchased his first season tickets to the Knicks in 1959, when a seat behind the basket in the old Madison Square Garden cost $2.50. Today, he pays $240 per game for the same seat, a few rows behind the west-side basket.
Klein, 76, never misses a home game, and often travels with the team. LaLa Anthony often sits directly in front of him, next to Cablevision and Knicks owner James Dolan. The chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman, Howard Lorber, sits to Klein’s left. “Donald Trump comes about four or five times a year and sits in Lorber’s seats,” said Klein, who attended last week’s game with his son (above). “I love it over here. I know all the people, and I know all the refs.”
Anthony J. Causi
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VINAYAK SINGH
The president of investment firm ISI Group (far right in navy pullover) is a longtime season-ticket holder, and uses his courtside real estate like an extension of his office. Last week, he brought a client to talk shop while taking in the game against the Chicago Bulls, which the Knicks lost 103-90.
His favorite Knicks moment? “John Starks dunking over Michael Jordan” in 1992.
Singh, who said he plans to be courtside at the playoffs, said front-row fans can be aloof. “All the fans love each other, but we don’t really talk,” he said.
Anthony J. Causi
