The NBA Finals continue tonight in New York City minus the customary watch party outside Madison Square Garden, a highly controversial decision announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Corporate partner ABC omitted that detail from its NBA Finals preview on World News Tonight, choosing instead to do a gauzy preview that seemed more befitting of celebrity coverage.
Watch the brief in its entirety as aired on ABC World News Tonight on Wednesday, June 10th, 2026:
Watch @ABCWorldNews preview of NBA Finals Game 4: zero mention of Mamdani practically shutting down the MSG watch parties pic.twitter.com/54aP93ytCU
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 10, 2026
LINSEY DAVIS: Here in New York City tonight, the high-stakes battle- Game Four of the NBA finals between the Spurs and Knicks. San Antonio with a chance to tie the finals at two games apiece, the Knicks and their fans with a score to settle. ABC's Rhiannon Ally is at Madison Square Garden. I'm sure it is electric out there, Rhiannon.
RHIANNON ALLY: Linsey, the stakes for Game Four couldn't be any higher here at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks hold a narrow 2 to 1 series lead, but the momentum might be shifting after Victor Wembanyama and the young Spurs core stole Game Three, but everyone here in New York is still talking about this missed call early in Game Three, a play that left the Garden fuming and added even more edge to the series. All eyes will be back on Jalen Brunson to see how the Knicks will respond to protect home court. Either way, this series will head back to San Antonio after tonight, both teams looking to take the momentum with them and Game Four tips off right here at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden, at 8:30 Eastern right here on ABC. Linsey?
DAVIS: Looking forward to that, Rhiannon. Thank you.
The cancellation of the watch party was public knowledge, announced well in advance. Per ABC 7 (NYC):
The decision to cancel came after MSG and its owner accused the mayor and the NYPD of turning the neighborhood into a "police state" and insisted that fans should be allowed to gather outside the arena, unrestricted.
"We want to encourage every New Yorker to celebrate in this moment, to do so responsibly and to be looking out for one another through it all," Mamdani said.
"The Knicks never agreed to what the city proposed," an MSG official said. "So the watch party outside MSG was not canceled in the traditional sense. The Knicks do not agree to what the city proposed."
These watch parties operated throughout the playoffs, but were shut down once the Finals returned to Madison Square Garden. The initial rationale offered was enhanced security due to President Trump’s attendance at Game Three. But Trump’s not in the Garden tonight.
Why was all of this glossed over? Was it due to ABC’s corporate role as the NBA broadcast partner carrying the Finals? Was it due to a desire not to air a controversial decision made by socialist Mayor Mamdani, thus insulating him from scrutiny? Whatever the reason, the end result is viewers getting a sanitized preview featuring only half the story.
