It was a full-on party in the streets of Manhattan on Thursday morning as the New York Knicks threw a ticker-tape parade to celebrate their 2026 NBA title. Starting at 10 a.m., players, coaches and more marched and floated along Broadway until they arrived at City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdami presented the team with keys to the city.
It was an emotional and fun-filled day for all involved. It has been 53 years since the Knicks last won a title and 27 years since they last appeared in the NBA Finals, and New Yorkers couldn’t believe they had the opportunity to celebrate this team in this lifetime. Neither could some of the Knicks alumni in attendance, who felt as proud and as emotional about the title as if they had gone out onto the hardwood themselves.
To cap things off, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Alicia Keys serenaded the crowd gathered downtown with a rousing rendition of “Empire State of Mind,” which, as you would expect, has become the Big Apple’s de facto anthem as of late. The perfect end to a perfect week.
You can catch up with our full coverage of the parade by scrolling the live blog below, or you can recap a handful of the morning’s best moments and call it a day. Let’s get into it.
Tyler Kolek mistaken as fan
You’re not a real Knicks fan if you don’t know who Tyler Kolek is. The best-dressed man on the squad during the postseason came very close to having an unpleasant run-in with the NYPD during the parade. Those cops told on themselves in that moment.
The 25-year-old Kolek was feeling himself during the championship parade, and decided to hop off the float and celebrate with the assembled Knicks fans. He ran along the barricade and gave some high-fives to revelers in the front row. As he skipped along merrily, two officers stopped him, with one bear-hugging him. They mistook him for a fan. As Kolek was milliseconds from being tackled to the ground, the police realized he was actually a member of the team.
Cops mistook Tyler Kolek for a fan 😩 #alwaysknicks pic.twitter.com/7LxI29zahb
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) June 18, 2026
I get casuals mistaking Kolek for a fan, but any self-respecting basketball fan remembers him as a second-team All-American at Marquette in 2024. A backup point guard, Kolek averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 62 contests for New York this season, his second in the NBA. He even got into eight playoff games, though he didn’t see the floor after Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Mayor Mamdani took us through Knicks history with an incredible speech
Any New York mayor could go up there and elicit the names of Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Patrick Ewing and Willis Reed. They got their kudos from the 34-year-old first-year mayor Zohran Mamdani, but (with the help of some real ball-knowing speechwriters, I’m sure) he went so much deeper with his passionate speech and connected the fibers of 50-plus years of Knicks history.
here is Mamdani's entire speech at the Knicks parade, which is easily the best speech I've ever heard at an event of this sort pic.twitter.com/FiTxy81Yq3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2026
John Starks’s dunk on Michael Jordan. Bernard King’s 60-point Christmas Day game against the Nets. Charles Oakley. Spike Lee vs. Reggie Miller. Allen Houston’s playoff game-winner vs. the Heat. Larry Johnson’s four-point play vs. the Pacers in the 1999 Eastern Conference finals. Stephon Marbury selling affordable Starbury sneakers. Nate Robinson’s block on Yao Ming. Linsanity. Carmelo Anthony’s return to New York. All got mentions during the speech.
And then he went deeper. Ronaldo Balkman, Mardy Collins, Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas, Jared Jeffries, Langston Galloway are among the oft-forgotten Knicks of yesteryear that earned mentions. Mamdani shouted out the more recent New York players, like Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle who were traded in the deals that set the stage for this title. Tom Thibodeau, the coach controversially fired after last year’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, was given his due.
These are the names, many of whom experienced more defeats than victories during their times in New York, that still brought joy to the diehards and helped make today’s championship parade all the more special for the millions of Knicks fans celebrating in the streets.
Jalen Brunson remains an elite closer
The NBA Finals MVP finished off proceedings with a speech from the heart. Jalen Brunson was always destined to be a New York Knick, and in that capacity he became a franchise legend. Everyone was waiting for his speech celebrating the franchise’s first championship in 53 years, and he delivered.
After thanking everyone in the organization for believing in him and helping this year’s run, Brunson looked to the left, in the direction of his teammates, and said, “Damn, we really did it, dog.” The crowd erupted. He wasn’t done.
“Somehow, someway, I knew we were going to get this done,” Brunson said. “Most importantly, thank you to the fans. I’m not gonna lie, though, y’all some pretty hard critics. But we appreciate it. At least I do. Appreciate it a lot.”
Brunson proceeded to get a little emotional as he thanked his family and his inner circle for supporting him. Before saying, “Damn, New York. We really did it, man. We really did it.”
Then Brunson finished the speech with a bang.
“Lastly, there’s a lot of people who have a lot of opinions, but when you prove them wrong, you don’t have to say s- - - to them. Nah, they don’t deserve it.”
Like always, the Knicks relied on their star point guard’s elite closing ability. He delivered.
Josh Hart loves New York
New York City loves its gritty role players, and no player in the NBA right now quite embodies that spirit like Josh Hart. As a result, he holds a special place in the hearts of Knicks fans—and he knows it, too.
It was therefore not a surprise that Hart was among the first (if not the first) of the championship-winning Knicks to hop down from the parade float and celebrate with the people on the ground. Cigar in mouth, chain dangling, Hart allowed the fans swarming the Canyon of Heroes to mob him as he stood by the metal barricade with joy radiating from all involved.
I love New York 🧡💙
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 18, 2026
“I love New York,” Hart tweeted with orange and blue hearts during the parade. New York loves you too, Josh.
Mikal Bridges’s dog Sonny steals the show
Nobody has (publicly) had more fun celebrating the Knicks’ title win than Mikal Bridges, who showcased more of his personality in an Instagram Live on Monday than he did in all his years of media availability since he joined the NBA in 2018. The biggest takeaway—Bridges loves his dog, Sonny, a yellow Labrador Retriever who is absolutely adorable. After making the dog a star of his post-championship celebration, Bridges happily revealed Sonny was coming on the float with him for Thursday’s parade, and brought him out during an interview with MSG Network.
“That’s my son right there,” Bridges pointed proudly while wearing a backwards Pacôme Dadiet jersey. “He take care of me, and I take care of him.”
"That's my son right there." ❤️
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2026
Mikal Bridges shouts out his special guest, Sonny 🐶 pic.twitter.com/ytBxO5UuaQ
Mitchell Robinson drove himself up Broadway in a huge Knicks-themed truck
Jose Alvarado is the consensus “most New York” Knick. He grew up in Brooklyn and attended high school in Queens, after all. The least New York Knick is probably Mitchell Robinson, the backup big man who grew up in Pensacola, Fla., and spent time in Louisiana as a high schooler. He is the first to admit that he is very country, but he is a Knicks fan favorite all the same and put his own spin on Thursday’s championship parade.
Robinson didn’t ride on a float or a double-decker bus but instead drove his own massive truck down to Lower Manhattan and on the parade route through the Canyon of Heroes.
He signed autographs from the driver’s seat and later from the bed of the truck, which was decked out in Knicks orange for the occasion.
Mitchell Robinson is in his truck at the Knicks' parade 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NKHZvMSsAg
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026
Mitchell Robinson's famous truck is decked out and ready for the Knicks' Championship Parade 😍 pic.twitter.com/MI2Ld3L1g2
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2026
There’s a very good chance that Robinson will head elsewhere this offseason, a salary cap casualty as James Dolan and his front office look to avoid the second apron next year and maintain some roster flexibility as they chase a second consecutive title in 2026–27. If that is the case, he’s truly ending his eight-year tenure in New York—the longest on the championship roster—in style.
Alicia Keys wraps it up with ‘Empire State Of Mind’
It was quite a day of celebration in lower Manhattan and thus it was only fitting for the day to finish up with a live rendition of the most famous (modern!) song about New York City.
That’s right—Alicia Keys was at City Hall to perform “Empire State Of Mind” live for the tens of thousands who gathered across from the Brooklyn Bridge to witness the end of the Knicks’ championship parade. As you might expect, the energy was tremendous and the performance utterly electric.
LET'S HEAR IT FOR NEW YORK.
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026
Alicia Keys performs Empire State of Mind at City Hall! 🎶 pic.twitter.com/mFlF8uR97U
A suitable way to cap off what’s been a wild few days of celebration in the Big Apple.
Knicks championship parade live updates, best moments, celebrity sightings and more
What to know about New York’s parade
Parade time
The event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
Broadcast information
MSG Networks is carrying some exclusive coverage of the parade, which will also stream on the Gotham Sports app. Additionally, the parade will be broadcast by local CBS, NBC, ABC and My9 affiliates as well as SNY.
The N.Y.C. mayor’s office will stream the event on its website, Facebook, X and YouTube.
Parade route
The Knicks will follow the traditional Canyon of Heroes route from Battery Park up Broadway to City Hall. The mayor’s office released a map showing access points for the parade, which is free to attend. The City Hall ceremony at the end of the parade, however, requires a ticket to attend.
Everything you need to know for the Knicks Championship Parade is at https://t.co/kQYUmyatbS. pic.twitter.com/joE14rTpiX
— City of New York (@nycgov) June 17, 2026
Parade viewing spots will open at 6 a.m. ET, though some fans have already reportedly started showing up for tomorrow’s event.
How the Knicks won the NBA championship
New York was not a dominant team during the NBA’s regular season, going a respectable-if-not-overwhelming 53–29 in the regular season, good for third in the Eastern Conference.
The postseason got off to a rocky start, as the Knicks dropped two of their first three games against the Hawks to open the first round. From there, they were nearly unstoppable.
New York won Game 4 in Atlanta, 114–98. They blew out the Hawks two more times to take the series in six games. It was the furthest they’d be pushed in the entire playoff run.
The Knicks swept the 76ers, fresh off of an upset of the No. 2 seed Celtics, and the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, taking a 10-game winning streak into the NBA Finals against the Spurs, who were fresh off of taking down the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference finals. And they just kept winning.
New York won Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio by scores of 105–95 and 105–104, two close wins in a series that featured exclusively tight contests. The Spurs snapped the Knicks’ winning streak in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, 115–111, but New York rebounded to win Game 4 at home, 107–106. They returned to San Antonio for Game 5, and rather than tempt fate, the Knicks took care of business, winning a 94–90 slugfest to capture the series.
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