Jordi Valle 10/26/2023 NBA
We left Penn Station and headed to the Basketball Theater of Dreams. We entered Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks’ Opening Game against the Boston Celtics. Gala event in the pavilion, with a special t-shirt and a luminous bracelet in each seat for all spectators, also for the press.
New York fans want to play basketball and they let their team know it with a thunderous applause. Not even Carmelo Anthony wanted to miss it, as when he was focused on the video scoreboard he made the entire Garden explode.
The game already began with the presentations of both teams, with a thunderous whistle to the Latvian Kristaps Porzingis, who returned to what was his home. The former Endesa League player was one of the best players of the game, with 30 points and 8 rebounds.
We could also see a lot of Celtics fans, who were very optimistic. We were able to chat with several of them and they see themselves as favorites to lift the NBA in this 2023-24 season.
The Celtics started the game much better, but the local fans waited like May rain for their team’s first basket, which was long in coming. After failing the first four attempts, Mitchell Robinson appeared with a good dunk to lift Madison. The bracelets began to light up…
In the vast majority of American sports, fans usually miss several minutes of the game to go buy their chicken fingers at the bar, however, that does not happen in the NBA, where fans only get up during halftime and at the end of the crash.
Regarding the press and the media in general, this is another world, nothing to do with what we are used to seeing in Europe. From an hour and a half before the start of the match you have access to the foot of the track to record all types of content, also access to a buffet restaurant for dinner, and once up in the press gallery, you are welcomed with a commemorative sign with the name from the journalist and the media, and a party guide with many interesting data.
In this stand there are all facilities: multiple plugs to charge devices, cable internet, screens to watch replays of the plays…
At the end of the match, all media once again have access to the foot of the court and to the press room. Regarding the latter, it has nothing to do with European territory either. It all comes down to a family room in which both coaches and players, as well as journalists, have the same importance.
Returning to the game itself, the Garden became a cauldron in the third quarter, going on a 10-0 run to tie the game and trigger a Celtics timeout. The pavilion was a party: kiss cams, shouts of MVP for those who gave longer kisses, throwing t-shirts into the stands with specialized guns… Quite a show.
The joy for Knicks fans did not last long, as the Celtics quickly responded with another set. However, spirits did not falter, honoring what is one of the best fans in the entire NBA.
It must be said that the NBA in general is a roller coaster of emotions, and that also happens on the court. To start the last quarter, another run by the Knicks to take the lead after a long time and the fans’ ecstasy could already be heard from Central Park. Carmelo Anthony appeared on screen again and the fans’ popcorn flew… so much so that some reached the press gallery.
And to top it all off, in addition to the partial, the technique came to Porzingis, which made everything look like a High School Musical end-of-year party at Madison Square Garden. The journalists next to me, two Latin Americans, looked in amazement at what was happening, no wonder.
And continuing with the Latvian, three minutes from the end he had a fight with Hartenstein that already unleashed anger with a few insults chanted loudly by the almost 20,000 spectators present.
Angering Kristaps was not a good idea, since his five consecutive points with one minute left silenced the honorable man and gave the Celtics the victory (104-108).
In short, a spectacle both on the track, in the stands, and in the press gallery. Many notes to take to transfer it to Europe, especially attention to the media.
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2023-10-26 21:55:03
#Knicks #Celtics #experience
