Las Vegas’ new link to NBA franchise
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Fans of professional basketball may be seeing a familiar logo on the New York Knicks’ attire, the franchise announced Tuesday.
In a press release, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., the ownership group of the New York Knicks, announced a partnership with Sphere Entertainment Co. that would make the newest addition to the Las Vegas skyline the “Official Jersey Patch Partner of the New York Knicks.”
“This pairing brings together two globally-recognized brands– a revolutionary new venue that is literally changing the way people experience live entertainment, and one of the most recognized franchises in professional sports – to create an innovative partnership at the intersection of sports and entertainment,” said David Hopkinson, President & COO, MSG Sports.
James Dolan, the executive chairman of Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., also serves as executive chairman and chief executive officer of Sphere Entertainment Co. Dolan is regarded by many as the mastermind behind the venue.
The Sphere logo will begin appearing on all Knicks game jerseys on the Oct. 25 game against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. According to the press release, the logo will appear on home and away jerseys, practice jerseys, warm-up shirts, and all Knicks jerseys sold at Madison Square Garden stores and on the official MSG website.
The Sphere exosphere, the largest LED screen in the world, lit for the first time on July 4 and has been a mainstay just off the Las Vegas strip ever since. The venue officially opened on Sept. 29 with the star-studded inaugural performance of U2’s Achtung Baby Live at Sphere show. Since then, director Darren Aronofsky’s film Postcard from Earth debuted on the venue’s 18K screen, with more films and events hinted for the near future.