New Yorkers Celebrate Basketball Comeback 53 Years In Making: Congratulations New York Knickerbockers (NY Knicks)! UPDATED – Tickets Available & Ferry Expanded For Staten Islanders

Staten Islanders and New Yorkers all across the City came together to cheer on our favorite basketball team, the New York Knicks. In a comeback 53 years in the making, the NY Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to win the game 94 to 90.

All across New York, people gathered together for watch parties, stood around kiosks and in bars, and all together were unified in cheering on the Knicks as they beat their way back from being down in the first quarter of the game to make a dramatic win at the end. The final score was a shock, and then the game was won and it was all over.  Now the celebrations begin.

It may be late, but the Mayor’s Office has just released their congratulatory article, which is below.  The team will be awarded the famous Keys to the City next week.  We’ll be adding other politicians statements as the weekend progresses into Monday.

NEW YORK – After the New York Knicks clinched the National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship tonight, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced that New York City will host a ticker-tape parade and City Hall ceremony honoring the team and awarding Keys to the City on Thursday, June 18.

The celebration will mark the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks history and honor a team that delivered an NBA championship to a city that has waited generations for this moment.

Additional details — including parade logistics, ceremony information and media RSVP instructions — will be released tomorrow, Sunday, June 14.

“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment. Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks. And this team fulfilled that hope with grit, resilience and heart — just like the five boroughs itself,” said Mayor Mamdani. “New Yorkers have cheered for our team from packed living rooms in the Bronx to watch parties in Brooklyn, from bars in Queens to Staten Island to Manhattan, and Madison Square Garden itself. Now it’s time for our city to celebrate together. Bing bong.”

Mayor Mamdani also announced that City Hall and municipal buildings across the city will be illuminated in blue and orange on Thursday, June 18 to celebrate the victory.

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In addition to City Hall, the following City buildings will also be illuminated in blue and orange on the night of Thursday, June 18 in honor of the New York Knicks:  

• The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building: 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007 
• Brooklyn Borough Hall: 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 

Additional buildings may be lit as well.

NYC DOT TO INCREASE STATEN ISLAND FERRY SERVICE FOR KNICKS CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE

Increased afternoon service Thursday will help Staten Islanders enjoy parade festivities in lower Manhattan

NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the agency will increase Staten Island Ferry service on Thursday afternoon to accommodate Staten Islanders attending the New York Knicks ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan.

NYC DOT will operate Staten Island Ferry service every 15 minutes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, doubling the level of typical weekday afternoon service, when there are usually departures every 30 minutes. Regular evening rush hour service will resume after 4 p.m.

NYC DOT plans to run regular morning rush hour service, with 15-minute service between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. to accommodate crowds commuting to the parade.

“The Knicks belong to all New Yorkers, and we’re ensuring that as many New Yorkers as possible are able to celebrate their historic run and get home safely when the party is over,” said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. “By doubling afternoon ferry service, we will keep our city moving while helping our Staten Island neighbors get home safely in the process.”

“The Knicks brought a championship back to New York for the first time in 53 years, and we want every fan to have a chance to celebrate,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “We’re increasing Staten Island Ferry Service so all New Yorkers can travel home safely and efficiently after being part of this historic day.”

Riders are encouraged to allow extra travel time, follow directions from ferry staff and public safety personnel, and check the latest service information before traveling.

Additional service information is available at the Staten Island Ferry terminals and NYC.gov/StatenIslandFerry.

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The parade will begin near Battery Park and travel north along Broadway before concluding at City Hall. Credit: NYC Mayor’s Office.

Following the parade, Mayor Mamdani will host a ticketed championship ceremony on City Hall Plaza, where the New York Knicks will be presented with Keys to the City.

Banner Image: “Knicks Changing Room” by William Warby, CC BY 2.0