Chaos has broken out on the streets of Manhattan and fans have needed medical attention as the New York Knicks prepare to celebrate their NBA championship win with a parade on Thursday morning.
Thousands of fans slept rough on the streets overnight to get the best viewing spots, while millions more are descending on the city to get a glimpse of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of their heroes.
That caused confusion and disorder on the streets as hoards of fans battled to find any space they could, while others reported a disastrous lack of organization and conflicting information from police. Video showed restless fans arguing and huge groups stranded without anywhere to go.
Images shared on social media showed a male fan receiving medical attention from EMTs in the street while others reported people ‘passing out’ as they waited for the parade to begin.
The NYPD announced that, by 7:30am, all viewing pens were full and there was no more space after just 90 minutes. But footage circulating on social media showed fans running through a police barrier before sprinting towards the parade route.
Some fans were forced to climb on top of vehicles, garbage trucks and street poles just to try and get a glimpse of the parade.
Disaster also struck early when fans who had gathered by one of the entrances listed on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s website were told it was a ‘misunderstanding’ and it would not be opened. ‘Open the f***king gate. The gate is supposed to open at six,’ one man was heard shouting.
A fan required medical attention from EMTs while waiting for the Knicks’ title parade to start
Millions of Knicks fans are preparing to celebrate their NBA champions in Thursday’s parade
Crowds went back as far as the eye could see in downtown Manhattan ahead of the parade
Fans were forced to scale garbage trucks and street poles to try and get a glimpse of the team
Video footage showed some fans rushing through a police barrier before sprinting to the route
The NYPD announced by 7:30am that all viewing pens were full and they were now closed
The NYPD has deployed more than 10,000 police officers to control crowds and safety issues
The NYPD also announced that subways would no longer stop south of Canal Street, where the parade was taking place, while vehicular traffic was shut down from 7am.
The Knicks’ dazzling playoff run, which ended with a 4-1 win over the dominant Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, has electrified the city in recent weeks.
Mamdani has predicted that Thursday’s celebration, due to start at 10am ET, might be ‘the largest parade in New York City history’ as fans celebrate the team’s first title since 1973.
‘There will be performances, there will be New Yorkers, there will be the team and there will be history,’ the mayor said Monday.
The event will start near Battery Park and travel up Broadway through the city’s ‘Canyon of Heroes’ before concluding at City Hall, where Mamdani plans to give the players the keys to the city.
Police plan to deploy 10,000 officers to secure the event, which follows jubilant but sometimes chaotic street celebrations that were marred by violence during the Knicks’ series with the Spurs.
‘We want people to enjoy this moment,’ police commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a planning meeting Wednesday, ‘but public safety comes first.’
Across the city, riot police were deployed to quell the madness after the Knicks won on Saturday night and videos showed the party turning ugly in Times Square as fans literally ripped apart a school bus while the driver begged them to stop.
At around 2am, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the left foot at 42nd St and Broadway, according to details from the NYPD. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in a stable condition.
In Brooklyn, meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was fatally shot and killed near Prospect Park at 11:40pm – just minutes after the Knicks had won – but it is unclear if that was related to the Knicks’ celebrations.
In Midtown Manhattan, meanwhile, videos showed cops fighting with revelers as thousands of the Big Apple’s raucous citizens invaded the streets.
Video showed groups of fans walking aimlessly as they tried to find anywhere to watch
The Knicks secured their first NBA title since 1973 with a 4-1 win over the San Antonio Spurs
Subway stations were full of Knicks fans rushing to get a spot along the downtown route
Knicks fans slept rough overnight and got up early to secure their spot along the route
An NYPD spokesperson said they will deploy helicopters, drones, heavy weapons teams, K-9s and explosive detection dogs, highway units, transit officers and a plainclothes operation.
More than 50 floats and other vehicles are expected to participate and some 650 sanitation workers have been assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds of debris, if recent history is any guide.
Knicks legends Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier – a member of the ´70s champion teams – and Patrick Ewing are expected to be in the parade. Mike Breen, the Knicks’ play-by-play announcer on MSG Network, was set to emcee the City Hall ceremony.
Alicia Keys, the singer who joined with Jay-Z on the indelible 2009 ‘Empire State of Mind,’ has been tapped to perform.
‘How could I not?’ Keys said Wednesday in a social media post that featured her chatting with Knicks forward OG Anunoby.
Thursday’s ticker-tape parade will be a first for the Knicks. When the team won the title before, in 1970 and 1973, they weren’t honored with New York’s signature procession.
The festivities on Thursday will be the 210th ticker-tape parade in New York, and it comes after a ticker-tape bash for the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2024.
