New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the parade will begin at 10 a.m. near Battery Park and travel north up Broadway to City Hall. It is the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks history. The franchise’s two earlier titles, in 1970 and 1973, were never celebrated this way. The parade ends with a noon ceremony at City Hall, where Mayor Mamdani will present the team with Keys to the City. Only ticket holders will be admitted to the ceremony, and they will be screened, with no bags allowed.
How to get to the parade
Expect street closures, barricades, and heavy security along the route, so it’s best to arrive early and take mass transit. The city has launched an official page, nyc.gov/knicks, with the latest details for anyone planning to attend. Transit options:
- 4 and 5 trains to Bowling Green, at the southern start of the route
- 1 train to Rector Street or Cortlandt Street for mid-route access along Broadway
- 2 and 3 trains to Park Place, near the City Hall ceremony
- R and W trains to Whitehall Street or Cortlandt Street
- A, C, and E trains to Fulton Street for central access to the route
- Staten Island Ferry, with service increased to run every 15 minutes for the occasion
Street closures and timing
The city is locking down Lower Manhattan in stages. Starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, parking is banned south of Canal Street, and violators will be towed. Beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, the area south of Canal Street will be closed from the Hudson River to the East River. The FDR Drive and the West Side Highway will remain open.
Officials recommend arriving at least two hours early. Once the parade begins, no street crossing will be allowed along the route, so pick your viewing spot before the start.
Dress for the weather. As of Wednesday night, the forecast for parade day calls for a hot afternoon, with a high near 89 degrees and a strong chance of rain. Because umbrellas are on the restricted list, a poncho or rain jacket is the safer bet, and it’s simultaneously worth bringing water and sun protection for the heat. Check the updated forecast before heading out in the morning.
What not to bring
Based on the security used during the NBA Finals and at past parades, organizers are likely to restrict:
- large bags and backpacks
- outside alcohol
- umbrellas
- folding chairs and other large items
Detailed guidance from the NYPD and city officials is expected closer to the parade date.
How the Knicks won the title
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals in five games to capture the third title in franchise history, and their first since 1973. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP, scoring 45 of the Knicks’ 94 points in the clinching Game 5 in San Antonio.
The most dramatic moment came in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks erased a 29-point deficit to win 107-106, the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history. OG Anunoby sealed it with a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left.
Jeremy Sochan: the first Polish NBA champion
The roster carries a milestone for Polish basketball. Jeremy Sochan, the Knicks’ number 20, holds dual Polish and American citizenship and plays for Poland’s national team. With the title, he becomes the first Polish player to win an NBA championship.
Sochan joined the Knicks midway through the season after ironically starting it with San Antonio. While his Finals role was limited to a few minutes across the series, he still made himself heard as a defensive specialist, at times literally, trading words with former Spurs teammate Victor Wembanyama.
A route with papal history
The Canyon of Heroes carries a Polish footnote: the same stretch of Broadway hosted a ticker-tape parade for Pope John Paul II on October 3, 1979, during his visit to New York. This year brought a lighter papal twist too. Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova graduate like Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, appeared to give a thumbs-up to a Knicks fan at the Vatican in late May, a moment fans gleefully called a papal blessing.
