Orange and Blue Take Over Lower Manhattan as Knicks Celebrate Historic NBA Championship

By Felicia Guo

NEW YORK — Lower Manhattan was transformed into a sea of orange and blue on June 18 as New Yorkers poured into the streets to celebrate the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years with a historic ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes.

The celebration came after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture their first NBA title since 1973. It also marked the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks franchise history.

The parade began near Battery Park at 10 a.m. and traveled north along Broadway before concluding at City Hall. Knicks players, coaches, elected officials and special guests rode through Lower Manhattan as confetti filled the air and fans packed sidewalks along the route.

Crowds began gathering hours before the parade started. Police barricades and controlled viewing areas were set up throughout the parade route, with the NYPD deploying more than 10,000 officers for the celebration. Some public viewing areas had reached capacity early in the morning as fans continued arriving downtown.

Many fans wore Knicks jerseys and carried signs as chants of “Let’s Go Knicks” echoed between the office towers of the Financial District. Others climbed onto elevated spots in an effort to see the players as their buses moved slowly up Broadway.

At the center of the celebration was team captain and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, who lifted the championship trophy before cheering crowds. Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and other members of the championship roster joined the procession, along with Knicks alumni and longtime celebrity supporters.

The parade ended at City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani honored the team during a ceremony and presented Keys to the City to Knicks players, coaches, owners and staff. The ceremony also brought together past and present figures connected to New York basketball.

The championship ended a wait that had lasted more than half a century. The Knicks previously won NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, but neither championship was followed by a ticker-tape parade through Lower Manhattan.

For a city known for celebrating its heroes along Broadway, the June 18 parade added a new chapter to that tradition. For Knicks fans lining the barricades from Battery Park to City Hall, it was also a chance to witness something generations of New Yorkers had waited decades to see: their team bringing an NBA championship back to New York.