Even the MTA is hopping aboard the Knicks train!
A repainted blue-and-orange 34th Street subway entrance outside Madison Square Garden has become a viral sensation for Knickerbocker fans, who have been gathering in droves to snap a selfie with the colorful team tribute.
The station was clad in Knicks colors and adorned with basketball light fixtures on Monday to honor the New York team’s first finals appearance since 1999 – and has been drawing hordes of jubilant fans to the new monument since.
“As a fan and a native New Yorker, I’ve never seen anything like this before, where the city really recognizes the sports team,” said Richard Bird of Harlem, as dozens of fans took selfies at the station entrance Wednesday afternoon.
“The Yankees have been doing it for years, but [for] the Knicks, I’m saying it’s amazing.”
“I think [subway stations] should be painted all over the city,” said Cornelio Joseph, known as Beat of New York online. “It’ll elevate the culture,” the 33-year-old added, “and has to celebrate the message: to celebrate the Knicks.”
The subway station makeover comes as part of a citywide celebration, with Big Apple residents coming up with Knicks-themed bagels, lattes, cheesesteaks and even tattoos to celebrate the team.
Joseph noted the historic run has ignited a citywide camaraderie unlike any other – and the subway station revamp has become a viral representation of Big Apple pride.
“If you’re a real New Yorker, you know the colors of blue and orange,” Joseph added. “I definitely think it brings unity.”
“Every time New York stays on top, it always unites the city,” remarked 22-year-old NYU student Andrew. “For [the team] to be down for so long, [and] for it to be back up again, that’s the difference.”
“In 2026, we’re divided on so many economic and political issues. Sports is something that we can all agree on,” said Matt Swirsky, a self-proclaimed “bandwagon” Knicks fan from Long Island.
“It’s great to see the city – just the excitement of people from different backgrounds all come together.”
The selfie spot – which has even drawn Mayor Zohran Mamdani to pose outside with basketball fans – was painted overnight into Monday after being floated for about a week, the MTA’s chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara told The New York Times.
The makeover comes after several Knicks-themed celebrations within the subway system, from actor Tracy Morgan recording a themed announcement to Rapper Fat Joe guest conducting on the 1 train.
At Penn Station, the lights now shine orange, white and blue in celebration of the finals clinch.
The transit system’s team pride isn’t limited to the Knicks, either: when the New York Liberty won a championship title in 2024, the MTA hung a banner in their honor, the Times reported.
Still, Rieara adamantly squashed any dreams of the entire transit system being re-painted in the near future, even if the Knicks clinch a championship win:
“This is the only one,” she told the outlet. “Doing multiple sort of diminishes the experience.”
An MTA rep told The Post the 34th Street station entrance will remain blue-and-orange “until a time to be determined.
But Knicks fans are far from losing hope – on both a finals win and a city painted blue-and-orange.
“They need to make every train station like that,” argued Duane, 37, of Harlem.
“Especially when we win!”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
