NYC to host first Knicks ticker-tape parade Thursday

New York City will host a ticker-tape parade and City Hall ceremony Thursday to honor the Knicks following their NBA championship victory, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Saturday night.

The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday to clinch the series 4 games to 1, securing their first NBA Finals championship in 53 years. The parade on Thursday, June 18, will mark the first ticker-tape celebration in Knicks history.

At the City Hall ceremony, team members will receive the keys to the city. City Hall, the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, and Borough Hall will be illuminated in blue and orange on Thursday, with other city buildings likely lit up as well.

"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," Mamdani said in a statement.

The mayor noted that New Yorkers celebrated the victory across the city. "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," Mamdani said.