76ers bracing for tough MSG atmosphere as Knicks raise banner before opener

The 76ers know the storm they are walking into.The Knicks will be raising their championship banners and collecting their rings during a heavily anticipated pregame ceremony ahead of their season-opener against the 76ers Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.For a 76ers team – now with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown as part of a core that already had Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe – with their own championship expectations, it will be a gauntlet of Knicks emotions and celebrations.“The environment is gonna be tough,” Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said Tuesday morning during 76ers shootaround at MSG.“There’s gonna be a lot of people in here, it’s their ring ceremony night.

It’s gonna be a long night for us.But just gonna be competitive.

I know they’re gonna come out ready but we just gotta be ready as well.”Embiid has already said that he plans to stay in the locker room during the ceremony.But once the game starts, are the 76ers relishing the opportunity to spoil the festivities? To make a statement of their own?“We’re not looking at it that way,” Caldwell-Pope said.“But it’s always fun competition when you can.

I’ve had a few ruin my [ring] nights before, it’s not fun.But my team, we want to start off great as well.

So if it’s their ring night, they gotta take the first loss.” This extraordinary edition is the ultimate celebration of a championship that will be remembered forever.Knicker Bonkers chronicles the historic championship run that united NYC.

Featuring NY Post analysis and vivid photos, relive the magic of MSG.The “Our Team, Our Title” wrap from our June 15, 2026 print edition set behind acrylic plexiglass and framed in black ayous wood.

Grab a copy of our paper from June 14, 2026 celebrating this huge moment for Knicks fans and New York City as a whole.A front-row chronicle of New York’s historic 2026 championship season! OMG, indeed! This adjustab...