Courtesy:NBA on ESPN
The New York Knicks held their first championship parade since 1973 on Thursday, June 18, drawing an estimated crowd of more than one million people to lower Manhattan. The parade began at Bowling Green and made its way through the Canyon of Heroes before ending at City Hall. Confetti in Knicks blue and orange filled the air throughout the route. Chants of “Let’s go, Knicks!” and “Knicks in five!” erupted repeatedly from the crowd lining the streets.
People streamed into lower Manhattan on packed subway trains for hours before the parade began. Several blocks from the route, fans stood shoulder to shoulder or climbed traffic lights and sanitation trucks for a better view. Even on the Brooklyn Bridge, fans gathered just to hear the loudspeakers carrying the celebration.
Brunson responds to critics at City Hall
Jalen Brunson had largely ignored his critics throughout the Knicks’ championship run. On Thursday, surrounded by over a million fans, the Finals MVP finally responded. Speaking at the City Hall ceremony, Brunson addressed those who doubted him directly. He said that when you prove people wrong, you really do not have to say anything to them because they simply do not deserve a response.
 In December 2023, Hammon said Brunson was not a first-option caliber player and argued that a team with a 6-foot-2 guard as its best player could not win a championship. Teammate Mikal Bridges acknowledged earlier this week that those comments had helped fuel Brunson’s motivation throughout the season.
Brunson also spoke directly to the city itself, expressing that he always believed the team would find a way to get it done. His mother, Sandra Brunson, attended the parade wearing a shirt with photos of Jalen and his father Rick, who also played for the Knicks. She echoed her son’s sentiments, saying the journey had been worth everything.
Celebrities, legends and the mayor join the celebration
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented keys to the city to the Knicks’ players, coaches, owners and staff at City Hall. Wearing a team jersey under his suit jacket, Mamdani danced on a nearby float alongside Karl-Anthony Towns, who hoisted the Eastern Conference championship trophy alongside a cigar. Carmelo Anthony, celebrating with fellow alumni on a separate float, summed up the mood simply: the whole city won.
Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, a member of the 1970s championship teams, led the parade in a stylish convertible wearing his NBA title rings. He said his late teammates and coaches would have been amazed at what the Knicks accomplished and how they captured the city this year. OG Anunoby, whose tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining in Game 4 of the Finals gave New York the go-ahead basket, left his float entirely to interact with fans along the route.
Film director Spike Lee rode a float alongside Brunson. He said he had never attended a parade before and was glad this one was his first. Timothée Chalamet, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller and Mariska Hargitay were also among the celebrities in attendance. Alicia Keys performed a medley combining “Empire State of Mind” and “New York, New York” at the City Hall ceremony. Knicks play-by-play announcer Mike Breen served as emcee.
The first parade in 53 years
The parade itself carries historical significance beyond the championship. Although the Knicks won titles in 1970 and 1973, the city did not hold ticker-tape parades for either celebration. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had scaled back such events for financial reasons. Thursday’s parade was therefore the first full ticker-tape celebration the franchise has ever received, making it the 210th ticker-tape parade in New York City history. The previous one honored the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2024.
Coach Mike Brown addressed the crowd at City Hall, telling fans that the championship belonged to them and urging the city to keep the energy going. Owner James Dolan thanked fans for their patience across more than half a century.
Security and crowd management
The NYPD deployed approximately 10,000 officers to secure the event. That level of deployment followed street celebrations during the Knicks‘ title run that were at times chaotic, including incidents tied to the five-game Finals against San Antonio.
Source: ESPN / ABC News / The Associated Press
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