New York delivered a ticker-tape tsunami on Thursday. From Battery Park to City Hall, an estimated two million fans packed Broadway to salute the Knicks’ first NBA title since 1973 – a 53-year wait that had calcified into city mythology.
The parade kicked off at 10 a.m. ET and followed the traditional Canyon of Heroes route through lower Manhattan. Mayor Zohran Mamdani presided over the ceremony at City Hall, presenting Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and his teammates with the symbolic Keys to the City.
Brunson, Thibodeau and the Speeches
Brunson (32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds per game in the series against San Antonio), head coach Tom Thibodeau and Karl-Anthony Towns each addressed the crowd with brief, heartfelt remarks. To close the celebration, Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys performed “Empire State of Mind” – the 2009 Jay-Z collaboration that functions as an unofficial anthem for New York sports fans.
City officials estimated attendance at over two million, which would rank among the largest championship celebrations in New York history.
How Brunson Got the Knicks Here
The definitive moment came June 13 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. Brunson dropped 45 points in the clincher – matching Michael Jordan’s record for most points scored in a championship-clinching game in NBA history. Fifteen of those came in the fourth quarter alone as the Knicks held off the Spurs 94-90. All 11 media voters for the Bill Russell Trophy chose Brunson unanimously.
The victory also validated Tom Thibodeau’s defense-first construction. New York held the Spurs under 90 points in the clincher despite a tied halftime score. In Game 4, the Knicks overcame a 29-point deficit – trailing 81-52 – to win 107-106. That comeback was the signal. This roster wouldn’t fold.
Fifty-three years. Nineteen thousand days. Thursday made it official: the wait is over. NBA.com has a full breakdown of how New York won the championship, and NBC New York covered Thursday’s parade live.
