{
  "id": 10571087,
  "title": "Stephon Castle says Knicks' MSG crowd was 'underwhelming' during NBA Finals: 'OKC was way louder'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/stephon-castle-says-knicks-msg-crowd-was-underwhelming-during-nba",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T00:40:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/stephon-castle-says-knicks-msg-004014993.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Stephon Castle, a guard for the San Antonio Spurs, has criticized the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden (MSG) during the NBA Finals, stating that the crowd was \"underwhelming\" compared to the louder audience the Oklahoma City Thunder received. Castle highlighted the difference in intensity when the Spurs lost all three games in New York, including a blowout in the second game, despite the presence of numerous celebrities in the courtside seats. He mentioned that the crowd's reaction during Game 3 seemed strained, with notable figures like U.S. President Donald Trump present. However, Castle noted a shift in momentum during the fourth game, where the Knicks managed to overcome a 29-point deficit to defeat the Spurs. Castle credited the Thunder's fans for contributing to the series victory, expressing that MSG's crowd appeared less enthusiastic than the Thunder's supporters during the Western Conference Finals.",
  "summary": "The young Spurs guard may have been on the losing side in the NBA Finals, but he wasn't impressed by the vaunted Madison Square Garden crowd.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "UConn's Stephon Castle pans 'underwhelming' NBA Finals crowd at Madison Square Garden",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/uconns-stephon-castle-pans-underwhelming-nba-finals-crowd-at-madison",
        "published": "2026-09-28T23:24:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}