Madison Square Garden, the home arena of the New York Knicks, is widely considered to be the Mecca of basketball. The Knicks have played at Madison Square Garden since 1946, making it the league’s oldest active arena.
During an interview with NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan suggested that the Knicks’ passionate home crowd has a reputation for trying to distract opposing players.
“I go in there with the notion that I know it’s not hostile. It’s more of the awareness that they’re going to cheer for the team, and they’re going to do everything to get you off your game.”
Jordan’s Chicago Bulls defeated the Knicks in five playoff series matchups. New York’s two NBA Finals appearances of the 1990s came during Jordan’s brief retirements from basketball.
Notably, Jordan scored 55 points against New York at Madison Square Garden in 1995. It was his high scoring performance of the 1995-1996 regular season.
Advice From Michael Jordan
Last season, the Knicks had the third-highest home attendance in the NBA. With over 825,000 attendees between 41 home games, New York has an environment where fans can have a strong impact on the action.
As a top performer at Madison Square Garden, Jordan offered advice to the NBA’s younger stars.
“Be you. You are you for 365 days of the year. What they are trying to do is get you to not be you. And to me, that is a challenge for a young kid. But it’s a privilege, it’s an honor. If they’re coming and yelling at you, you’re an impactful player…”
With a 31-18 record, the Knicks hold the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. In December, New York defeated the San Antonio Spurs to become the reigning NBA Cup champions.
The Knicks’ 2026 All-Star selections include Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. Brunson was named an Eastern Conference starter and Towns was selected as a reserve.
Jordan’s advice may be useful to the current generation of players, as the Knicks have clearly established themselves as serious playoff contenders heading into the later part of the season.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.