The Baby singer expected a friendly welcome when he went to watch the New York Knicks take on the Dallas Mavericks.
But when cameras zoomed in on the teen heartthrob - who was still wearing a pair of purple 3D glasses following the premiere of his new movie - the crowd turned on him.
An onlooker said: 'The crowd responded with boos and jeers.
'He looked taken aback and finally stowed the specs.'
Justin, 16, stars in documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which charts the Canadian's meteoric rise to fame.