Melo madness swept the city Tuesday as the arrival of the Knicks' newest star sent ticket prices skyrocketing and fans dreaming of a title.
Anticipation to see Carmelo Anthony donning blue and orange is so high, ticket prices for Wednesday night's game against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks tripled in less than 48 hours.
Nosebleed seats that cost about $50 over the weekend were selling for $170 at StubHub.com, and the average ticket price shot up from $91 to $260.
"This is absolutely a result of the excitement for Melo," said StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer. "Until yesterday, Lady Gaga tickets were the talk of the town. Melo has definitely trumped that."
Ferrer said two courtside seats for the Bucks game have been scooped up for a wallet-busting $2,555 each.
Anthony, a four-time All-Star with the Denver Nuggets, was traded to the Knicks in a blockbuster deal that cost the team most of its starting lineup, a slew of draft picks and $3 million in cash.
The Knicks also landed veteran point guard Chauncey Billups and three bench players - but Anthony, who arrived with his family by private plane Tuesday night at Teterboro Airport, was undoubtedly the prize.
Scores of delighted Knicks fans rushed to the Madison Square Garden box office before 11 a.m. hoping to scoop up tickets for the former Syracuse University phenom's debut in a Knicks uniform.
The game was sold out, but that did little to dampen fans' spirits.
"I think it's the greatest thing to happen to the Knicks in a long time," said Jeff Nish, a season ticket-holder from Old Westbury, L.I.
Nish showed up to buy Lady Gaga tickets, but when he heard the Carmelo news, he tried to snag a couple extra seats to tonight's game.
"People say they gave up a lot," Nish said. "Superstars don't come around that often. With Chauncey Billups, I think they have a chance this year to [win it all]."
Superfan Thomas Chubbs called the acquisition of Anthony "outstanding."
"He's one of the top 10 players in the NBA," crowed Chubbs, 53, of the Bronx. "I want tickets for any games the rest of the season. I don't care who they're playing or where I'm sitting. I just need to be here."
Even Mayor Bloomberg jumped on the Carmelo bandwagon, saying he expects the high-scoring forward's arrival to give a boost to the city.
"This is where the best and brightest are, and I think it's going to be very exciting at the Garden," Bloomberg said.
Anthony will wear the No. 7 jersey, and about 150 replicas and 700 name and number T-shirts will be on sale today at Modell's sporting goods stores in Times Square, Grand Central Terminal and Herald Square.
"The customer demand has been unbelievable already," said Jed Berger, senior vice president of marketing.
Anticipation to see Carmelo Anthony donning blue and orange is so high, ticket prices for Wednesday night's game against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks tripled in less than 48 hours.
Nosebleed seats that cost about $50 over the weekend were selling for $170 at StubHub.com, and the average ticket price shot up from $91 to $260.
"This is absolutely a result of the excitement for Melo," said StubHub spokeswoman Joellen Ferrer. "Until yesterday, Lady Gaga tickets were the talk of the town. Melo has definitely trumped that."
Ferrer said two courtside seats for the Bucks game have been scooped up for a wallet-busting $2,555 each.
Anthony, a four-time All-Star with the Denver Nuggets, was traded to the Knicks in a blockbuster deal that cost the team most of its starting lineup, a slew of draft picks and $3 million in cash.
The Knicks also landed veteran point guard Chauncey Billups and three bench players - but Anthony, who arrived with his family by private plane Tuesday night at Teterboro Airport, was undoubtedly the prize.
Scores of delighted Knicks fans rushed to the Madison Square Garden box office before 11 a.m. hoping to scoop up tickets for the former Syracuse University phenom's debut in a Knicks uniform.
The game was sold out, but that did little to dampen fans' spirits.
"I think it's the greatest thing to happen to the Knicks in a long time," said Jeff Nish, a season ticket-holder from Old Westbury, L.I.
Nish showed up to buy Lady Gaga tickets, but when he heard the Carmelo news, he tried to snag a couple extra seats to tonight's game.
"People say they gave up a lot," Nish said. "Superstars don't come around that often. With Chauncey Billups, I think they have a chance this year to [win it all]."
Superfan Thomas Chubbs called the acquisition of Anthony "outstanding."
"He's one of the top 10 players in the NBA," crowed Chubbs, 53, of the Bronx. "I want tickets for any games the rest of the season. I don't care who they're playing or where I'm sitting. I just need to be here."
Even Mayor Bloomberg jumped on the Carmelo bandwagon, saying he expects the high-scoring forward's arrival to give a boost to the city.
"This is where the best and brightest are, and I think it's going to be very exciting at the Garden," Bloomberg said.
Anthony will wear the No. 7 jersey, and about 150 replicas and 700 name and number T-shirts will be on sale today at Modell's sporting goods stores in Times Square, Grand Central Terminal and Herald Square.
"The customer demand has been unbelievable already," said Jed Berger, senior vice president of marketing.
