Go, New York, go!
Knicks owner James Dolan believes his beloved team are going to clinch the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
“I feel we’re going to win,” he told Page Six exclusively at the “Vampire Lestat” premiere at the Beacon Theatre Tuesday night. “I really think we’re going to win.”
Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs is June 3 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Game 3, set for June 8, will be the first game played at Madison Square Garden in front of a sold-out crowd.
Game 3 may also feature a couple of unknown faces on “Celebrity Row,” as a pair of seats are being auctioned off with proceeds going to MSG’s Garden of Dreams Foundation, which helps kids in need across the region.
Dolan shared that he’s “excited,” but noted that feeling is also understandably tinged with a “lot of anxiety.”
The last time the Knicks made the finals was in 1999, and the last time they were crowned NBA champs was in 1973 — more than 50 years ago.
The businessman also told us that he won’t have any trouble getting to sleep the night before the big game, but might have some issues the night of.
“It’s sleeping after that’s harder actually…because you’re all juiced up,” he explained.
Dolan added that the Knicks have won the last eleven games at the Garden, including the now-legendary Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which saw the Knicks come back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime. It was the largest playoff comeback in franchise history.
When Page Six asked Dolan if that was “the greatest game” he’d ever seen, he replied, “I don’t know if it’s the greatest game, but it’s definitely top 10.”
“Top 10,” we sputterered, “surely it deserved to be at least top 5,” prompting Dolan to sagely note, “I’ve been around a long time!”
Dolan is the executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports — which owns the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers — as well as Sphere Entertainment and Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
