The New York Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. But if the series gets pushed to a Game 6, it might be remembered for being the center of a nightmare of foot traffic.
Monday night saw the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to complete a sweep and reach the championship series for the first time since 1999.
While it’s still undetermined who their opponent will be, the series will see thousands travel to Madison Square Garden for the game – whether to watch it in-person or at an outdoor party.
But one of the three games the Knicks are set to host coincides with a game during the 2026 FIFA World Cup that takes place just across the river in New Jersey.
The NBA released the Finals schedule on Tuesday, showing that Game 6 of the series will tip off at 8:30pm on June 16.
It’s the same day that title-favorite France takes on Senegal at MetLife Stadium at 3:00pm in East Rutherford, New Jersey in what is set to be one of the best games of the group stage.
New York-Penn Station is bracing for a logistical nightmare as two events clash on June 16
The NBA released a schedule for the Finals, which will see the Knicks host Game 6 that day
June 16 is also when France and Senegal play a crucial game for the World Cup in New Jersey
This could present a massive logistical problem for the Knicks, Madison Square Garden, police and transit officials in both New York and New Jersey.
Chief amongst all reasons is the fact that fans attending the game at MetLife will not be allowed to drive their own cars to the stadium – forcing ticket holders to use public transportation.
Anyone attending the match who needs to connect through New York City will need to get there by a train operated by NJ Transit out of New York-Penn Station.
Penn Station – which also is a hub for the Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak and the New York City subway system – is located directly below Madison Square Garden.
With the France-Senegal match likely ending around 5:00pm, that means tens of thousands of football fans will be stepping off their return trains in New York just as tens of thousands of Knicks fans are making their way inside Madison Square Garden.
Of course, this is all predicated on the Knicks forcing a Game 6 in the Finals – which is not a guarantee considering how well the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have played in the Western Conference Finals.
Fans attending the World Cup have to take a train to get to MetLife Stadium. Trains departing New York City leave from Penn Station, located directly below Madison Square Garden.
Only three dates for the NBA Finals clash with the World Cup, with only two of those dates having matches played at MetLife. Only on the 16th is there a MetLife World Cup match and a Knicks home game.
However, it’s possible that on June 13, a Game 5 watch party outside Madison Square Garden could happen at the same time that fans will return or travel to MetLife from watching Brazil play Morocco.
If the NBA Finals is pushed to a Game 7, it’ll add to what will already be a hectic day of sports in the United States.
In addition to Scotland-Morocco and Brazil-Haiti being played in nearby Foxborough and Philadelphia, the United States will play its second World Cup group stage game against Australia in Los Angeles at noon.
