Going to Knicks' opening night? It'll cost you at least $1,000.

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News on Sep 16, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — If you’re going to watch the Knicks receive their 2026 NBA championship rings on opening night at Madison Square Garden, you’ll need to bring your checkbook with you.

It’s a $1,000 get-in price for nosebleed seats on Oct. 20, when the defending champions will receive their rings from their 4-1 gentlemen’s sweep of Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in last year’s NBA Finals run, the franchise’s first in 53 years. Moments later, reigning Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, playoff hero Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks’ Game 4 Finals savior OG Anunoby will tip-off against the newest threats to their title throne: the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed LeBron James and traded for Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown to create a Big 4 alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this summer.

Opening night tickets went on sale Wednesday afternoon on Ticketmaster, with tickets in Section 418 — the skybox — starting at $1,039.50 per seat. Madison Square Garden set ticket prices in the 300s at the $1,550 range and over $2,000 for seats in the 200s. The average opening night ticket price will run the everyday Knicks fan north of $2,500. As of Wednesday afternoon, the most expensive courtside seats on Ticketmaster ranged from $27,000 to $53,000

The surge in ticket prices was expected following the Knicks’ miraculous 2026 championship run, a playoff stretch that began with a 1-2 series deficit in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks before New York won 13 straight postseason games, the second-most in playoff history behind only Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant’s 2017 Golden State Warriors. The Knicks played two games at Madison Square Garden as they defeated the Spurs in five. Game 4 set an NBA Finals record with an average ticket price of $5,447 on secondary markets, with Game 3 reaching an average of $5,200.

Las Vegas oddsmakers put the Knicks as +900 favorites to win the NBA Finals, tied with the Sixers for third-best odds to win it all behind San Antonio and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are tied at +270 odds.

The Knicks are 1-3 on opening night since Brunson’s arrival in 2022 and are 1-1 since the Towns trade in 2024. Last season marked their third consecutive 50-win season, and Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau as coach, set a franchise record for most wins (53) by a first-year head coach.