Knicks start – The New York Knicks finally began their first-ever NBA title parade in Manhattan after Broadway chaos that included hospitalizations, arrests, and crowd disorder. Players boarded open-top buses just after 10:30am, passing Battery Park to City Hall as millions
New York waited for the buses to move—and when they finally did, the streets exhaled.
The NBA champion New York Knicks began their highly anticipated parade in Manhattan on Thursday morning. boarding open-top buses just after 10:30am to greet an adoring crowd of New Yorkers. The celebration had been shadowed for days by crowd chaos along Broadway. with hospitalizations and arrests reported as fans fought to find a place to watch.
By the time the parade rolled from the Battery up to City Hall, thousands of Knicks supporters who had lined up overnight were already making their way back into the moment. Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and the rest of the team were in high spirits as they partied with fans across the route.
Karl-Anthony Towns made a vivid statement of his own. smoking a huge cigar and carrying the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals trophy as the crowd screamed at the first glimpse of their heroes. Even before the floats were fully underway. head coach Mike Brown hit a wild note by singing ‘Who Let The Dogs Out.’ Knicks owner James Dolan was also seen fist pumping with the crowd.
The day wasn’t only about basketball. Mikal Bridges brought his dog. Sonny—an eight-year-old yellow Labrador retriever—along for the ride. and held a video camera to capture the atmosphere. Anunoby. dressed in all black. oozed cool as he rode through Manhattan. while Josh Hart—who threw the first pitch at the Yankees on Wednesday—walked through crowds near the start.
Hollywood showed up too. Timothee Chalamet greeted fans as he made his way to the start of the parade. Ben Stiller—who is making a documentary about the Knicks’ success—shakes hands with fans before heading toward the action. Fellow Knicks superfans Tracy Morgan and Chris Rock were also in attendance.
Knicks icon Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier led the way in the first car of the parade. taking the players up Broadway’s iconic ‘Canyon of Heroes.’ Frazier won the NBA title in 1970 and 1973. but never received the parade he felt he deserved. On Thursday, that long-awaited change in the script was unmistakable.
The wider story of this parade is measured in time. The Knicks’ victory ended a 53-year drought, and it has electrified New Yorkers in recent weeks. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has predicted that the parade could be among the biggest in city history.
But the build-up has made security and crowd management impossible to ignore. City police said all the viewing pens along the route were full less than three hours before the procession. packed by thousands of fans who flooded into the city. Video and posts from earlier on showed chaotic scenes on the subway as the systems became overwhelmed. with fans forced to scale garbage trucks and street poles to get a glimpse of the team.
Even with the parade underway, the tension from that earlier scramble followed the route. Some fans reported confusion and disorder as hoards battled for space. while others said the organization and information coming from police was conflicting. Video also showed restless fans arguing and huge groups stranded without anywhere to go. Other clips included police arresting somebody, and several claims that fights were breaking out.
There were also reports of medical emergencies: a male fan receiving medical attention from EMTs in the street. and others saying people were ‘passing out’ while waiting for the parade to begin. One fan told The New York Post that “People are having a fit. and they’re fighting because they can’t get in.” The same fan said they would call Mamdani’s office to complain. adding that “the police on the street have blamed him. ” but that “this is on [NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch].”.
As the celebration moved downtown, plans for managing the aftermath were already in motion. Police plan to deploy 10. 000 officers to secure the event. following ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks’ run to victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday. “We want people to enjoy this moment. ” adding. “but public safety comes first.”.
Sanitation crews are also preparing for the scale of the celebration. Some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.
Entertainment will close out the day’s spectacle as well. Alicia Keys—who collaborated with Jay-Z on the New York-loving 2009 hit ‘Empire State of Mind’—has been tapped to perform. and she said in a social media video on Wednesday. “How could I not?” The video featured her on the phone with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
All of it is happening as millions of fans have descended on the city for the chance to see history up close. Thousands slept rough on the streets overnight to secure prime viewing spots. and the parade’s first stretch through Manhattan made one thing clear: when the Knicks finally reached the point of celebration. they weren’t doing it quietly.
New York Knicks NBA title parade Jalen Brunson OG Anunoby Karl-Anthony Towns Mike Brown James Dolan Mikal Bridges Sonny Timothee Chalamet Ben Stiller Jessica Tisch Alicia Keys
So they’re parading AFTER the chaos? lol ok.
I saw something about hospitalizations on Broadway and thought they would cancel the whole thing. But guess not. Also why does it sound like everyone fought just to watch a bus move slow??
Mike Brown singing that song is the real championship right there 😂. And the part about that cigar like… are they really letting Towns do that in public? Probably harmless though. Meanwhile I’m just wondering if Dolan paid for all the security like always.
Wait, Knicks won the title and they’re throwing a party in Manhattan but the article says “Manhattan shut down” like it was some terrorist thing or something? My cousin said it was because of that Timothee Chalamet guy being there and everybody went nuts. And then there’s a dog?? I love dogs but don’t mix that with crowds… I don’t get it.