Madison Square Garden revealed the lucky winners of the coveted celebrity-row courtside seats for Game 3 of the NBA Finals — a giveaway that raked in a whopping $1 million for New York City’s youth.
Two deep-pocketed Big Apple firms — Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LL and Veritas Capital — split the winning bid for the pair of hot-ticket seats as the New York Knicks return to the Garden Monday night for their first NBA Finals home showdown in more than 25 years against the San Antonio Spurs.
The record-setting payout will benefit MSG’s Garden of Dreams Foundation — the largest donation in the charity’s history, officials said.
“We want to thank Gibson Dunn and Veritas Capital for their incredible generosity,” James Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of MSG Sports, said in a statement.
“We’re proud that we were able to offer this opportunity to benefit The Garden of Dreams Foundation. This $1 million donation will be an invaluable resources to continue to help shape the futures of the young people we serve.”
The foundation, which helps underserved kids in need across the region, has served an estimated 480,000 youngsters battling hardships such as homeless, poverty, illness and foster care across the region since 2006.
The fundraising effort comes on the heels of the Knicks’ pledge to give hundreds of NBA Finals tickets to underserved city kids. The Garden of Dreams Foundation is set to receive 250 tickets each for Games 3 and 4, plus another 250 if a Game 6 is played at the Midtown arena.
“The Garden of Dreams Foundation is one of the preeminent non-profit organizations in New York City,” said Ramzi Musallam, CEO and Managing Partner of Veritas Capital.
“The work they do for underprivileged youth align perfectly with our values at Veritas Capital and we’re excited to play a role in helping their mission.”
Barbara Becker, chair and managing partner for Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, added that “advocating for underserved youth has been a longstanding part of our firm’s pro bono work.”
“This is a special moment to see that commitment extend into the Knicks community—and benefit the next generation of fans in the tri-state area,” she said.
