Jalen Brunson, NBA Finals MVP, and Josh Hart will throw out first pitches for the New York Yankees on June 17 at Yankee Stadium, just hours before the Knicks’ championship parade along Broadway to City Hall. The ceremonial moment underlines how the NBA’s winni
On the same day New York’s basketball champions are set to be celebrated in a parade through Lower Manhattan, the Yankees are turning to the Knicks’ stars.
The Yankees announced on Wednesday, June 17 that NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and teammate Josh Hart will throw out the first pitches at that night’s game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.
The timing is tight. The ceremonial tosses will come a little more than 12 hours before the Knicks are feted with a parade through Lower Manhattan’s so-called “Canyon of Heroes,” moving north on Broadway to City Hall.
Brunson arrives for the spotlight with a stat line that still feels fresh to fans. He averaged 32.8 points during the Finals as the Knicks won 15 of their last 16 playoff games, losing only Game 3 against San Antonio at Madison Square Garden.
There’s also precedent for Brunson in the Bronx. He has pulled off first pitch duty in the area as recently as 2024, returning to the kind of ceremonial role that has become part of New York’s championship culture.
For Hart, the first pitch underscores how the Knicks’ roster chemistry has become a broader New York story. Brunson. Hart and Mikal Bridges were famously teammates at Villanova during the late 2010s. a detail that adds another layer to the city’s sense that this Knicks run isn’t happening in isolation.
The stakes for New York now aren’t only about one parade day. The question hanging over the city is whether the Knicks can sustain the level of play they displayed deep into the playoffs—because once a team becomes “the team. ” every offseason. every regular season. and every first pitch starts to feel connected.
Jalen Brunson Josh Hart New York Knicks New York Yankees first pitch Yankee Stadium Chicago White Sox NBA Finals MVP championship parade Canyon of Heroes