The NBA Finals matchup isn’t set yet, but there’s already plenty of talk about how New York will fare against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton is chiming in about how star-studded Madison Square Garden compares to playing in Oklahoma City, and he called out Knicks fans for not being loud enough.
Tyrese Haliburton Argues OKC’s Crowd Is Louder Than Madison Square Garden
Haliburton weighed in on which arena brings the most energy and noise, and his verdict might not sit well with Knicks supporters.
On “The Pat McAfee Show,” Haliburton stated that OKC’s crowd at the Paycom Center is the loudest.
“Last year, I think it was the best road environment that we played in,” Haliburton said of Oklahoma City. “It’s unbelievably loud. You can’t even hear yourself think. I think OKC does a great job of having like a college environment in there. It’s pretty ridiculously loud.”
He said the noise rivaled a Big 12 road trip to Kansas from his Iowa State days, and he joked that he suspected the Thunder are pumping in artificial sound.
“I think OKC does a great job of kind of having like a college environment in there,” he added. “It is pretty ridiculously loud.”
Haliburton acknowledged that Knicks fans are devoted, but then got in a jab.
“New York has a lot of passionate fans, of course, and a lot of people love the Knicks,” he said. “But there’s a lot of celebrities in there, and sometimes they’re too cool to get super loud.”
Haliburton is one of the most hated players in New York, tormenting the Knicks and ending their season a year ago. Pat McAfee joked that Haliburton was getting this shot in since he wasn’t happy that New York was in the NBA Finals. Haliburton smiled and simply stated that he was happy for the Knicks.
After 27 years, New York is back in the NBA Finals after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Garden has been every bit as raucous as its reputation throughout the postseason run.
Celebrities such as Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, and Tracy Morgan have been a constant presence throughout the playoffs, feeding the energy. What makes the Knicks’ fan base special is that they don’t just fill out MSG, they also have a habit of taking over road arenas.
During the Cavs series, fans flooded Rocket Arena, chanting “Let’s go Knicks” and “Knicks in 4,” overtaking the arena. There was plenty of blue and orange in the crowd, and that’s after the Cavs banned Knicks fans from purchasing courtside seats.
Philadelphia saw a similar scene just one round earlier.
But Haliburton’s praise for the Thunder crowd isn’t baseless. OKC’s “Loud and Loyal” crowd has built a reputation as one of the most intense home environments in the league, erupting for deflections and defensive stops as loudly as for dunks.
Despite being a small market, OKC crowds often draw comparisons to European soccer atmospheres.
Haliburton missed the entire 2025-26 NBA season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered in last year’s Finals against the Thunder. He watched the Pacers struggle without him, going 19-63 overall this season, just one year after claiming the East.
While the Knicks have already punched their ticket for the NBA Finals, OKC’s fate is tied to whether they can beat San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals. Game 6 between the Thunder and Spurs tips off tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET in San Antonio.
