The New York Knicks ended their 53-year wait for a third NBA championship Saturday night, sparking wild celebrations across the city, some of which led to violence and arrests.
The Knicks clinched the best-of-seven series 4-1 against the San Antonio Spurs to lift the trophy for the first time since 1973, sealing the deal in Game 5 two days after pulling off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
The Knicks sealed the title at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, but over 1,500 miles away, in New York, celebrations erupted after the final buzzer.
The historic victory sparked scenes of jubilation, with fans flooding the streets, celebrities joining in the festivities and city leaders planning a ticker-tape parade.
As soon as the Knicks secured victory, thousands of fans filled the streets jumping and chanting near Madison Square Garden and Times Square. Police officers and ambulance workers in Brooklyn were heard shouting “Let’s go Knicks” over loudspeakers.
The raucous celebrations saw disorder and violence, as some fans clashed with police, smashed windshields, lit fireworks and scaled scaffolding and light poles. Others climbed into and onto school buses in Times Square and attempted to hitch rides on a moving fire truck, The Associated Press reported. Later, one of the buses was engulfed in flames.
The New York City Police Department said it made 63 arrests and that 10 NYPD members were injured, including one member of the NYPD who was punched in the face and another who was struck with a glass bottle.
A 17-year-old was the victim of a shooting and taken to the hospital, the force said, with three persons of interest in custody. Five school buses were set on fire or destroyed, and five NYPD cars were damaged.
Around 2 a.m., gunshots were fired near 42nd Street and Broadway, police said. Bystander video captured the sound of at least seven shots and showed people crouching and running for cover. Preliminary reports indicated no one was injured, police said.
In San Antonio, die-hard Knicks fans Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller joined in more measured celebrations on the court.
Chalamet, a four-time Academy Award nominee, told ESPN: “Way rather this than the Oscars. Knicks are champions, baby.” Stiller told the network he was the “happiest I’ve ever felt.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City will host a ticker-tape parade, the first in Knicks’ history, along with a City Hall ceremony honoring the team. The team will also be awarded keys to the city on Thursday.
“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” he said. “Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks.”
The Knicks appealed to fans to keep celebrations safe.
“We need to tell everybody in New York that we know that they’re celebrating, we want them to have a great time,” Knicks owner James Dolan said after the game in San Antonio. “Please be safe. Don’t get hurt, don’t hurt anybody.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump congratulated the team, calling their victory “maybe the greatest in the history of basketball.”
“Congratulations to Jim Dolan and the New York Knicks!!!” he posted on Truth Social.
