Craig McCoy was 12 years old when the New York Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1973 — and still remembers the heroic roster.
“Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed … so I’m a diehard Knicks fan,” he said Friday morning while hawking his black Knicks Finals T-shirts for $20 apiece outside Madison Square Garden. He sold six shirts in about 10 minutes from a black wagon.
McCoy said one of his friends, a businessman, told him he could make some money on the side with Knicks merch. So he took his advice.
“I print around 10 dozen,” he said. “It takes about two hours.”
After winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in Texas, the Knicks are set to play them again there Friday night, before returning home for Game 3 at MSG on Monday. Game 4 in the best-of-seven series will also be played at the Garden next Wednesday.
The Knicks’ postseason victory streak has fired up New York City, with the team’s flags and swag becoming almost ubiquitous. Fans new and old have taken to watch parties and the streets to show their hometown pride and join in the revelry.
With some classic New York hustle, merchants like 42-year-old Bronx native Kevin Bent are meeting the moment — and trying to cash in.
Kevin Bent sells Knicks gear around Madison Square Garden, June 5, 2026. Credit: Alex Krales/The City Reporter
Bent, who grew up blocks from Yankee Stadium, said he got his start selling the MLB team’s memorabilia at 13.
“It was better than doing anything else The Bronx had to offer for a young kid,” he said. “I grew up around some bad stuff. I got to make money, the environment around Yankee Stadium was better than my environment in my block, it was a two-for-one thing.”
Jamal, a 29-year-old seller also from The Bronx, said he normally trades in concert tees, but lately, Knicks merchandise is a much hotter commodity.
“It’s off the wall. I’ve never seen New York like this,” said Jamal, who declined to give his last name because he said he didn’t want his operation to be shut down. “They’re buying the shirts so fast.”
Juwan Parker, a seller standing 30 feet from Jamal, said he sold more than 100 shirts in under an hour and a half. He said he planned to sell out his inventory of 240 shirts, much more than he usually touts.
Juwan Parker sells Knicks gear outside Madison Square Garden during the NBA finals, June 5, 2026. Credit: Alex Krales/The City Reporter
The blue-and-orange street vending has benefits for fans, too, with prices generally lower than those at the merch store inside MSG.
Fans began lining up to enter the store by 10 a.m. Friday, and once they were inside, T-shirts, hats and jerseys flew off the shelves. Knicks and player-specific shirts went for upwards of $60, while jerseys sold for between $140 and $300 for adult sizes. A small Finals patch was on offer for $40, including the store putting it on a specific jersey.
Knicks fans check out team gear around Madison Square Garden during the NBA finals, June 5, 2026. Credit: Alex Krales/The City Reporter
Outside the Garden on his lunch break, Anthony Delgado trawled in search of tees for his grandparents.
“I go into the Knicks store, and I see the bootlegs, the bootlegs are way better,” said Delgado, a 23-year-old longtime Knicks fan from New Jersey. “I sent a photo to my group chat with my friends, and they were like, ‘Oh, snag me one,’ so I had 10 [shirts] in my backpack.”
Niels van Beek, a newer Knicks fan, said he probably wouldn’t pay full price for an official shirt. He said he’s moving to Boston after four years in the city and wanted a Knicks shirt as a keepsake.
“The Knicks have defined my era of living in the city. Them going to the championship finally, as I’m closing out my New York chapter, is very poetic,” he said. “I’ll continue being a Knicks fan. I’m not going to switch to the Celtics.”
People buy Knicks shirts from a seller outside Madison Square Garden during the NBA finals, June 5, 2026. Credit: Alex Krales/The City Reporter
While selling his wares, McCoy shared his prediction for how the rest of the NBA Finals will go for his home team.
“We’re gonna take the broom, just get the broom,” he said. “We’re gonna sweep them.”
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