Cardi BArtist profile →
Cardi B didn’t have to walk far for her halftime show. On Monday night (June 8), the jumbotron found her sitting courtside behind a row of dancers in orange Knicks jersey dresses, and she grabbed the mic from there, per Rolling Stone. The three-minute set at Madison Square Garden opened with “Bodega Baddie,” from her chart-topping album Am I the Drama?, and moved to center court for “Bodak Yellow.”
It was the first NBA Finals game at the Garden for the Knicks since 1999, Billboard noted, and the Knicks arrived with a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs after winning the first two games on the road. A Bronx native who has been courtside throughout this playoff run, Cardi B was the obvious pick for a halftime slot that has gone to Fat Joe, Jadakiss and Fabolous earlier in the postseason. Per Complex, her full set wasn’t shown in the official TV broadcast, so most people saw it on phone clips.
Read moreCardi B and Fuerza Regida Join GTA VI’s Album: Hear “Don’t Chart” and “Suzuki”
Then she went back to her seat with her four-year-old son, Wave, for the second half. The Knicks led 64-57 at the break but lost 115-111, snapping a 13-game winning streak, according to Newsweek. Jay-Z, Timothée Chalamet, Spike Lee and Larry David were in the building, Complex reported. President Donald Trump attended too, and Rolling Stone reported that he was loudly booed during the national anthem.
The Knicks lost, but I’m still so proud of them.
Cardi B, Newsweek
Cardi said as much after the game, eating a SpongeBob popsicle. She then asked every Knicks fan to join her on social media before Game 4 and “have a prayer circle for the Knicks to win.” She also admitted she had never seen anyone as tall as Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Why it matters
Cardi is in the middle of a year built around live performance. Her first headlining North American tour, the Little Miss Drama Tour, started in February and grossed more than $70 million, per Billboard Box Score, in support of Am I the Drama?, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last September with 200,000 units. She also appears on the GTA VI album.
The stakes were bigger for the Knicks. They were chasing their first championship since 1973, while the Spurs were trying to end a 12-year title drought, and Game 4 was set for Wednesday night at the Garden. New York did win it all, and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson hosted SNL’s season premiere in September.
Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.
