American rapper Fat Joe is a superfan of the New York Knicks and is often seen courtside supporting them.
The Bronx native has been especially thrilled this season as his favorite team has been dominating in the playoffs, clinching the Eastern Conference title and punching a ticket to the 2026 NBA Finals.
Why Fat Joe Was Denied Courtside Tickets for Knicks vs. Cavaliers Game 4
With the Knicks leading 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, the “All The Way Up” artist could be on cloud nine, anticipating a four-game sweep and at the peak of rejoicing as his Knickerbockers were on the brink of reaching their first NBA Finals since 1999.
So it’s not surprising that Fat Joe, whose full name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, would purchase courtside tickets for Games 3 and 4 at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena, as he wanted to see the Knicks win the conference title and reach the NBA Finals.
However, much to his dismay, the Cavaliers organization took away his courtside tickets. During an appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today live in Cleveland, he spilled the beans about what he believes is a shameful act by the Cavs organization.
“We had bought some courtside tickets to the game and once they found out it was superfan Fat Joe, they was like, I can’t sit courtside. New York Knick fans can’t sit courtside,” he said. “They took the tickets away courtside after we purchased it, so shame on you all.”
Fat Joe says the Cavs stopped him from buying courtside seats for game 3 & 4 . They told him no Knicks fans allowed 😳 via @espn pic.twitter.com/wmvmxeN9ai
— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) May 25, 2026
Reports also mentioned that at least 10 other Knicks fans with courtside seats had been contacted by a Cavaliers executive and were told they no longer had seats.
The Cavaliers defended their actions, stating that unauthorized resale or transfer of playoff courtside tickets is prohibited.
“Playoff courtside seating is governed by a specific agreement that prohibits the resale or transfer of tickets without approval. All courtside ticket holders are required to comply with the terms of the single-game playoff agreement,” the team stated.
DON’T MISS: ‘Crazy Talented, But…’ — NBA Champion Reveals Why He’d Take Jalen Brunson Over Luka Dončić to Win a Title
Fans who no longer had courtside seats were given the option to move to a higher section inside the arena for Game 4. The seat plan changes did not keep Knicks celebrity fans from watching the possible East title clincher.
The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers 130-93 in Game 4 to complete the sweep, and are now headed to their first NBA final in over two decades.