Can the 76ers actually keep Knicks fans out? The reality behind the policy

The Philadelphia 76ers will take on the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA Playoffs next week, and the Sixers are attempting to protect their home court by all means necessary.

After Joel Embiid publicly urged fans not to sell their tickets to New York Knicks supporters, the organization has taken an additional step ahead of their second-round playoff series. They are restricting ticket sales to buyers in the Greater Philadelphia area.

“Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of Greater Philadelphia area,” the team said in a statement. “Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside area will be canceled without notice and refunds given.”

Can the Sixers legally restrict Knicks fans from attending games?

The last time the Sixers and Knicks teams met in the playoffs, Knicks fans flooded Wells Fargo Center, creating an atmosphere that felt closer to a road game for Philadelphia. New York went on to win that 2024 first-round series in six games, even clinching on the Sixers’ home floor.

The experience stuck with Embiid, who didn’t hide his frustration then, and clearly hasn’t forgotten now.

“It felt like Madison Square Garden East,” Embiid said after Philadelphia’s Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you.”

Now, the franchise is backing up that message with action. But is it legal to restrict tickets to certain fans? In short, yes.

Teams have the right to control how primary tickets are sold, including placing geographic restrictions on buyers. Limiting purchases based on billing ZIP codes or regional addresses is a strategy that has been used across professional and college sports, especially in high-demand rivalry matchups.

Because geography is not a protected class under U.S. law, this type of restriction generally doesn’t violate anti-discrimination rules. So from a legal standpoint, the Sixers are on solid ground.

The catch: it doesn’t stop everything

While the policy may sound strict, it comes with a major limitation. It only applies to initial ticket sales. Once tickets are purchased, they can still be resold through secondary marketplaces, and that’s where visiting fans often find their way in.

Platforms like StubHub and SeatGeek operate independently of team restrictions, making it difficult to fully control who ends up in the building. So, the Sixers can slow the flow, but they can’t stop it entirely.

During the 2024 series, efforts were made behind the scenes to keep tickets in the hands of local fans, but it failed tremendously. So if the goal is to completely keep Knicks fans out, history suggests that’s unlikely. Demand, resale markets, and New York’s traveling fan base make that almost impossible.

But if the goal is to limit their presence and energize the home crowd, the policy, combined with Embiid’s public plea, could potentially make a difference. The series starts on Monday in New York, but when it shifts to Philly for Game 3, all eyes will be on the fans in the stands.

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