New York Knicks State of Mind: Billy Joel And Knicks Release NBA Finals Merch Via Sportiqe And Bravado

In what is one of the most exciting NBA playoff runs in recent memory, the New York Knicks, for the first time since 1999, now find themselves in the NBA Finals, where tonight (June 3) they will face off against the mighty San Antonio Spurs in a best-of-seven series. Over the course of the Knickerbockers’ historic season, led by their 29-year-old phenom, point guard and team captain Jalen Brunson playing on their iconic Madison Square Garden home court, the team has captivated an entire city in ways not often seen, with perhaps one notable exception

Another MSG icon the city holds in similar high regard is Billy Joel, the legendary New York musician who has also set a number of records at Madison Square Garden, including he Most Lifetime Performances by any artist (150 shows), the Most Consecutive Performances by any artist (90 shows) and wrapped his record-setting 10-year MSG residency on July 25, 2024 which capped off his “The Greatest Arena Run of All Time.”

It makes all the sense in the world then that the Knicks and Joel are collaborating on a new line of merch that combines the title of Joel’s classic song “New York State of Mind,” from his 1976 seminal album Turnstiles, with the Knicks’ orange logo.

Announced today by Sportiqe, a 20-year-old premium lifestyle brand operating at the intersection of sports, music, and culture, the collaboration includes a hoodie and tee that unites “two of New York’s most enduring cultural legacies: Billy Joel and the Knicks.” The merch is available at the Sportiqe shop-in-shop inside the NBA Store NYC and on Sportiqe.com during the Knicks’ first NBA Finals run. The line, available an off-white “Dove Colorway,  includes a “New York State of Mind Drake Hoodie” that will cost you $90 and a New York State of Minke Duke Tee which runs $48.

Sportiqe, which is headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and founded in 2006 by Jason Franklin and Matt Altman, has done partnerships across MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, and NWSL, alongside collaborations with artists from Frank Sinatra to The Killers.

“I started taking piano lessons when I was 8 years old because I loved Billy Joel – the first song I ever learned to play was one of his songs,” Franklin, co-founder of Sportiqe, said in a statement. “Thirty-six years later, it’s incredibly meaningful to launch this collaboration during the Knicks’ long-awaited return to the Finals. Billy Joel didn’t just describe New York – he became part of its identity. Great sports apparel lasts beyond the moment itself, and years from now, I hope these pieces still remind fans of where they were, who they were with, and what this historic run felt like.” 

This collaboration was made possible through Billy Joel’s partnership with Bravado, which is owned by Universal Music Group and is the world’s leading merch company with teams in 40 countries.

Joel’s historic MSG run dates back to Dec. 14, 1978, when he first played the “World’s Most Famous Arena” at the age of 29. Independent Artist Group’s founder and chairman Dennis Arfa, Joel’s longtime agent, helped formulate the MSG residency concept, which grew from the demise of another iconic (if far less beloved) New York City building across the East River. “After we played Shea Stadium in ’08, it was like how do we follow this?” Arfa told Pollstar for a 2018 cover story on the historic residency. “Shea was a monumental success. McCartney came to close it with Billy and you had Roger Daltrey, Steven Tyler, Tony Bennett, John Mayer and all these superstars show up. So the idea was, how do you follow Shea?” The run, which sold close to 2 million tickets and grossed more than $260 million, will stand as one of the live industry’s most innovative and towering achievements and has already impacted the industry with a growing list of artists doing protracted residencies at big buildings, including Harry Styles, Madonna, U2 and Olivia Rodrigo.

The Knicks, meanwhile, haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973, perhaps they just need to get into more of a New York State of Mind.