Zohran Mamdani is a Knicks fan and the mayor of New York. He will not be at banner night.

Asked on NBC New York whether he would be inside Madison Square Garden on October 20 for the ceremony, Mamdani laid out the problem.

“Brother, I do not have $2,000 ready for that ticket.”

When the reporter pressed about cheaper upper-level seats, his response was no softer.

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“That’s what I’m talking about.”

Resale listings for the season opener climbed well above $2,000 on the secondary market.

A banner 53 years in the making

Tip-off at Madison Square Garden is at 7pm local time, with Commissioner Adam Silver presenting championship rings to Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the roster before the game.

The Knicks won the 2026 title 4-1 against the San Antonio Spurs on June 14, Brunson taking the Bill Russell Trophy as Finals MVP after a Knicks Finals-record 45 points in the clincher. It was the franchise’s third championship and its first since the Walt Frazier-Willis Reed team of 1973.

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76ers at Knicks is one of three games opening the regular season on October 20, alongside Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs. The American Express Tip-Off runs from October 20 to October 23 across nine nationally televised games.

LeBron starts a 24th season in Philadelphia

LeBron James is in Philadelphia on a two-year, $8m contract he agreed in free agency in late July. He turns 42 in December and begins a 24th NBA season on Tuesday, extending the longevity record he already set as the first player to log a 23rd year.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said when the move was announced.

The reshuffle extends well beyond Philadelphia. Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. from the Milwaukee Bucks, with the trade officially completed on July 6, parting with Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakučionis and three first-round picks. Luka Doncic lines up in a revamped Los Angeles Lakers roster that opens against the Golden State Warriors on October 21.

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The Knicks tip off their title defence against James and the 76ers at 7pm local time on Tuesday, October 20.

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