The 2026 NBA champions retained their starting lineup and will let you do the trading instead.
The 2026 NBA champions retained their starting lineup and will let you do the trading instead. Shares of the only basketball team in the world New York Knicks are expected to list on the New York Stock Exchange later this month under the ticker MSGK.
Why now? You’re getting the opportunity to call yourself a part-owner because the board of Madison Square Garden Sports recently decided to spin off its New York Knicks business from its New York Rangers business, which will trade separately as MSGR.
The move comes amid a blowout year for MSG’s soon-to-be-divided stock:
- The holding company’s market cap is nearing $10 billion, up more than 80% from the same time last year.
- The Knicks account for much of that value. In private market valuations for MSG’s teams—which are higher than public market counterparts—the Knicks are worth an estimated $11.75 billion, per JPMorgan, while the Rangers are worth an estimated $4.15 billion, per Sportico.
MSG’s move isn’t without controversy: One of the board members for the newly formed MSG Knickerbockers Corp., which will include the team, will be Isiah Thomas, a former Knicks head coach who was accused of sexual harassment. This has also been a year of heightened scrutiny for Knicks owner James Dolan, whose use of facial recognition technology at Madison Square Garden—as recently reported by Wired—drew protests from privacy advocates.—ML