‘Go Knicks!’: from Wu-Tang to Trump, New York is gripped by basketball fever

Article excerpt

New York City is swept up in basketball fever as the Knicks edge closer to their first NBA championship in 53 years. After a 107-106 comeback victory over San Antonio on Wednesday, celebrities including Taylor Swift and Larry David remained at Madison Square Garden as Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" echoed through the arena. The city's energy has unified unlikely constituencies, from Wu-Tang Clan to political figures, around the team's unlikely run, transforming the Knicks from perennial also-rans into the focus of Manhattan's collective attention and pride.