CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the Big Apple ready to take on the New York Knicks in the next two games of their playoff series that's currently tied 1-1.
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Cavs players and coaches aren't alone on the road, however. Cleveland fans are right there with them, bringing their energy inside the walls of Madison Square Garden.
Traveling fans is nothing new. The president of the Big Apple Browns Backers, who prefers to just be referred to as Noah, can attest to that. Over the years, he's hosted Cleveland loyals in New York City for Browns, Guardians and Cavs games alike.
"There's 200-300 Browns backers bars around the country, around the world. We're the only one in New York City," Noah said. "In 2016, '15, when the Cavs were making all their runs for the finals, we had a lot of members that were saying, 'Are you going to show the Cavs?' So we pivoted over.
"Since the LeBron James era in Cleveland, The Liberty Bar in New York City has flooded with Cavs fans on game days. Many of those who go to watch the games are Cleveland transplants, but there's a good percentage of travelers as well.
"Game 1 was crazy. Probably had about a little bit over 200 people at the bar; it was pandemonium," Noah said. "There's probably 70% folks that live in New York that are from Cleveland or have ties to Cleveland…and then the other 30% are folks that are visiting the Big Apple."
That includes folks like Will Burge, a Cavs fan first and podcaster second. Burge took a 6 a.m. flight Wednesday morning into New York City to cheer on the Cavs inside MSG for Game 3.
"I'm going to New York City. I'm going behind enemy lines and I'm going to go watch the Cavaliers hopefully take a 2-1 lead in the first round of playoffs," Burge said. "I hope to see tears from Knicks fans. I mean, full-fledged tears down their face."
Burge has tickets for the first game in New York and will switch to work mode for Game 4 on Sunday, talking to fans around New York.
That won't be too difficult, according to Noah.
"We've been seeing a ton more Cavs gear walking around Manhattan and Brooklyn the past week," he said.
The prices in New York City—and to the game where tickets are around triple the cost in MSG than in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse—aren't deterring some fans.
After all, it's playoff time and with the Cavs in them for the first time in five years, there's reason to celebrate.
"We're expecting a good amount of people coming in from Cleveland," Noah said. "Much respect to all the fans coming from Cleveland to make the journey to the Big Apple and come to New York City."
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