New York Knicks celebrate NBA win with huge Manhattan parade

NEW YORK – Tens of thousands of New York Knicks fans flooded Manhattan on June 18 for a heavily guarded victory parade, turning the city into a sea of blue and orange to mark their basketball team’s NBA Finals triumph.

Chants of “Let’s go Knicks” rippled through the dense crowd, made up of some who paid hundreds of dollars for line-sitters to wait overnight and save them a space to watch the procession.

“The Knicks unite the city unlike any other team. We were starved for so long,” said Anthony Martorelli, a 29-year-old retail worker.

New York erupted in jubilant scenes on June 13 when the Knicks broke a 53-year drought after beating the San Antonio Spurs on the road in Texas.

The parade on June 18, organised by Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s team, has drawn a security detail of 10,000 New York police officers – the force’s largest-ever deployment for a planned event.

Public-viewing pens to see the parade were already full three hours before the start, the New York City Police Department said, prompting some late arrivals to scramble for alternatives.

In one case, dozens of fans scaled a dump truck, deployed as a security measure, to catch a glimpse of the passing players and trophy.

A couple wearing their wedding-day finery, a tuxedo and bow tie for the man and cream dress for the woman, also wove through the crowds. A friend said they would tie the knot later.

“I think there’s been so much bad around America in the last couple of years, and it’s really nice to see this,” said Martorelli.

He spoke as cheers echoed off the skyscrapers dotted around the World Trade Center, as National Guard troops oversaw the area.

Information technology teacher Jeff Gartner, 42, described the parade as “chaos” but said he brought his son along to witness a historic moment.

“This is probably a memory he’ll live with for the rest of his days,” he said.

The parade, which started at 10am, was planned for the Knicks to travel from Bowling Green at the bottom of Manhattan to City Hall – a 10-block route known as the “Canyon of Heroes”.

They were showered with 1,134kg of recycled confetti, according to the city, as part of a ticker-tape parade that traces its origins to the late 1800s.

“What a gift it is to be brought together by pure, unfiltered joy,” said Mamdani, wearing a Knicks jersey over a shirt and tie, with a suit jacket.

Jalen Brunson, named the 2026 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, thanked New York fans for backing the team to clinch the title.

“Somehow, some way, I knew we were going to find a way to get this done,” he said.

Coach Mike Brown did not take the credit for himself.

“I’m so proud of our guys, from the top to the bottom,” he said.

“There was a lot of hard work that we put in, starting with the off-season, going into the season. A lot of stuff that you guys don’t see behind the scenes. Guys busting their behinds, not just our players, our medical staff, you know, keeping those guys healthy for sure.”

New York, already swarming with football supporters for the World Cup, faced traffic chaos with street closures enforced across Manhattan.

But for many lifelong Knicks fans, the disruption was justified, as the parade marked an emotional culmination of years of following the team.

James Smallwood, a 62-year-old retiree, recalled his memories of when the team last won the Finals all the way back in 1973.

“I was nine, doing New York stuff, riding bikes and playing tag, and I remember my sisters drinking Miller High Life when the Knicks won,” he said.

“That’s when I became a fan. I’m a five-time cancer survivor, so this means so much to see.” AFP, REUTERS