Dolan added that the restrictions heavily impacted the traditional atmosphere surrounding the iconic New York venue.
"This is about celebrating the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, at the Mecca of basketball.
This is what the mayor's office and the commissioner's office is trying to kill, they don't want the celebration," Dolan said.
In response, Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks released a joint statement clarifying their decision to decline the limited permit.
"Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks declined to use the permit that was granted by Mayor Mamdani's office due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed into the area and they would need to be ticketed, leaving the tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the Knicks out in the cold.
We did not think it was fair to just allow a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everybody else was being shut out," the statement said.
Meanwhile, local businesses adapted to the cross-city rivalry.
The Tex-Mex eatery Yellow Rose operated as an unofficial San Antonio headquarters in Manhattan, while Texas restaurant María Bonita posted a playful sign banning Knicks fans.
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Traveling San Antonio residents Chris and Susan warned other fans to remain cautious after facing verbal hostility from local groups while wearing sports gear in New York streets.
"We were verbally harassed by a group of men who were, I guess, Knicks fans, and they looked at us, and they were speaking in Spanish in a mocking tone," Susan said.
