Fat Joe, 10+ Knicks Fans Banned From Courtside at Cavs Playoff Game, Relocated to New Seats

The Cleveland Cavaliers are making sure courtside seats at their home arena go to their own fans.

Rapper and New York Knicks superfan Fat Joe revealed on NBA Today that the Cavs took away the courtside tickets he had purchased.

"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." 

According to Christian Arnold of the New York Post, there were 10-plus Knicks fans who had their courtside seats taken away ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

While superfans like Fat Joe, Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan and Timothée Chalamet may not have their typical courtside seats, they still pulled up to Game 4 as the Knicks look to put the series to bed.

The Cavs have taken extreme measures to prevent Knicks fans from taking over their arena, including requiring courtside ticket holders to sign a DocuSign stating they won't resell their tickets, according to Arnold.

"Playoff courtside seating is governed by a specific agreement that prohibits the resale or transfer of tickets without approval," a Cavaliers spokesperson said, per Arnold. "All courtside ticket holders are required to comply with the terms of the single-game playoff agreement."

Knicks fans managed to turn Rocket Arena into Madison Square Garden in Game 3, with "Let's go Knicks" chants breaking out as New York took a 3-0 series lead. Cavs star Donovan Mitchell wasn't surprised to see the Knicks fans come out in droves.

"I'm from New York, this doesn't shock me," Mitchell told reporters after the game. "They do it in every arena. It's like Cowboys fans. It's just who they are. I don't think it's a Cleveland thing. It wasn't just us, you look at Philly. It's how Knicks fans are, I was one back in the day."

Knicks-Cavaliers Highlights

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New York has managed to win 10 straight playoff games, dating back to late April, and having a fan base that's willing to travel has certainly made road games easier.