New York Knicks fans burned sage and incense outside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to cleanse the venue before Game 4 [2] of the NBA Finals.
The ritual reflects the high-stakes tension of the championship series and the intersection of sports and political sentiment in New York City. Following a loss in Game 3, supporters sought to remove what they described as negative energy from the arena.
The ceremony began at 3 p.m. [1] on Wednesday, hours before the scheduled tip-off. Participants used the aromatic herbs to purge perceived bad luck and negative energy left by a previous visit from President Donald Trump [4].
Fans gathered near the venue's exterior, where some also protested the presence of security barricades ahead of the game [2]. The group aimed to reset the atmosphere of the building to improve the team's luck for the upcoming contest.
This practice of "smudging," or burning sage, is often used in various cultures to clear a space of negative spirits or stagnant energy. In this instance, the fans linked the team's recent struggles and the arena's current "vibe" to the presence of the former president [3].
While some reports mentioned unrest outside the arena following other games, the specific gathering on Wednesday afternoon focused on the ritual cleansing of the site [2]. The fans remained focused on the spiritual preparation of the home court to ensure a victory in the Finals series.
“Knicks fans burned sage and incense outside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to cleanse the venue.”
The incident highlights the intense superstition common in professional sports, where fans often attribute wins and losses to external metaphysical factors. By targeting the 'energy' of a political figure, the fans are blending sports fandom with political expression, treating the physical arena as a symbolic space that can be influenced by the people who visit it.
