NEW YORK — Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets of Lower Manhattan on Thursday as the New York Knicks celebrated their first NBA championship in 53 years with a ticker-tape parade, turning the city’s long-awaited basketball title into a day of civic celebration that drew supporters from across the five boroughs.
The parade followed the Knicks’ victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, ending a championship drought that dated to 1973. New York City officials organized the procession along the historic “Canyon of Heroes,” with players, coaches and team staff traveling from Battery Park to City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented members of the team with Keys to the City.
City Hall described the event as the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks history. Municipal buildings across New York were illuminated in the team’s blue-and-orange colors as celebrations extended beyond the parade route. In a statement announcing the event, Mamdani said, “For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment.”
Fans began gathering hours before the parade started, with transportation agencies issuing advisories and temporary station restrictions around Lower Manhattan because of expected crowds. Organizers said viewing areas along Broadway were open to the public without tickets.
The celebration brought together residents from diverse neighborhoods and backgrounds. Supporters wearing team jerseys and carrying Knicks banners crowded sidewalks, plazas and public spaces throughout the route. Media reports described large gatherings around City Hall and along Broadway as fans sought a glimpse of players including Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and other members of the championship squad.
The parade also capped nearly a week of celebrations that followed the championship-clinching victory. Team members later attended private events across the city, while public festivities continued in neighborhoods throughout New York. Reports estimated that more than a million people attended the parade, though officials had not released a final attendance figure as of Friday.
The championship run generated widespread enthusiasm across the city after decades without an NBA title. Earlier celebrations following the Knicks’ victory included large gatherings around Madison Square Garden and Times Square, though some incidents of disorder were reported by police.
As of June 20, city officials said cleanup operations had been completed and transportation services had returned to normal schedules. The Knicks organization continued its championship celebrations while preparing for the NBA offseason, and civic leaders described the parade as one of the largest public sporting celebrations held in New York in recent years.
