The New York Knicks' run to the NBA Finals – their first since 1999 – had produced scenes the city had not witnessed in nearly two decades. Crowds filled the streets to watch games, celebrating victories and following scores with devotion. That joyful streak came to an abrupt end Tuesday night with the team's loss in Game 3, a result fans had dreaded from the moment it was reported that US President Donald Trump was expected to attend.
Due to the president's arrival, security protocols at Madison Square Garden, where the game was held, were tightened, and bags were banned from the arena. The policy change proved especially dramatic in this case, as Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns' fiancée – influencer Jordyn Woods, known for her ties to the Kardashian-Jenner family – was unable to bring her orange bag in the team's colors, which had taken on the status of a lucky charm.
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"I created a sample of the Tux Clutch Mini specifically for the playoffs. I wore it for Game 1 during one of my TikTok GRWMs, and ever since then we've kept winning, so now it's officially become the lucky bag," Woods told Vogue. "It's gotten to the point where if people don't see me carrying it during a close game, they start blaming me for changing the routine. So let's just say the bag isn't leaving my side anytime soon," Woods said, describing the Tux Clutch Mini from her fashion brand.
The reactions on her Instagram account reflect just how much the bag matters to fans. "All I know is that this bag needs to make it in," wrote one user. The team's fan account, which has approximately 132,000 followers, wrote, "There's going to be a lot of problems if Jordyn can't get her bag into the garden."
In a video on her Instagram account, Woods addressed the new guidelines and described a creative approach she had tried – channeling the lucky charm into the form of high heels for the Trump-attended game. Given the game's result, it's clear the attempt failed, and all eyes are now on Game 4, which is expected to take place on Wednesday.
