New York Knicks fans, your commute is about to get a little more basketball-coded.
Before Jose Alvarado steps onto the court for the Knicks’ highly anticipated home opener tomorrow, Tuesday, October 20 at Madison Square Garden, the point guard is taking his talents to the NYC subway system.
The MTA announced that Alvarado will be making special subway announcements, encouraging straphangers to take the train to the game “the New York way” for the team’s first home game of the 2026–27 season.
Fresh off their first NBA championship in 53 years, the Knicks are preparing to raise their championship banner at MSG, with a ring ceremony planned before tipoff.
And if the city’s summer celebrations are any indication, New York isn’t quite done showing its orange and blue pride.
The MTA is keeping the Knicks’ Championship spirit alive
Alvarado’s subway announcements are the latest way the city is bringing Knicks energy into the daily commute.
Following the team’s historic championship win, the MTA and state officials announced that the iconic orange and blue subway entrance at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue would retain its Knicks-inspired makeover throughout the 2026–27 season.
Located at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop serving the A, C and E trains, the entrance was decorated in the team’s signature colors, with its lamp globes repainted to resemble basketballs.
The entrance became a popular spot for fans heading to games and watch parties, and officials ultimately decided to keep the look in place as the Knicks defend their title.
The MTA also got in on the celebrations during the team’s championship parade in June, running a special vintage K train featuring an R-32 subway car that had operated during the Knicks’ previous championship runs in 1970 and 1973.
Transit employees even got the green light to wear Knicks hats instead of their usual MTA headwear during the Finals, while the Long Island Rail Road concourse at Penn Station glowed orange and blue on game days.
In other words, the Knicks have officially become part of the city’s transit identity.
New York Knicks’ 2026 home opener: Everything you need to know
The Knicks will officially return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, October 20, to face the Philadelphia 76ers. Here’s what fans need to know about the big night:
- Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers
- Location: Madison Square Garden, Manhattan
- Tipoff: 7 pm ET
- Special events: Championship ring ceremony and the raising of the Knicks’ first championship banner since 1973
- How to watch: NBC and Peacock
With a championship banner going up, rings being handed out, and a subway announcement from Alvarado to get fans in the spirit, Tuesday is shaping up to be a pretty memorable night for New York basketball.
And for fans heading to the Garden, taking the subway might just be the most fitting way to get there.
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