Philly swapped Paul George for former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, signed Anfernee Simons to a two-year deal and, most importantly, secured LeBron James’ talents in free agency.

After winning the championship and ending a five-decade-plus drought, are the New York Knicks feeling the heat on the throne as the team to beat out East?

Probably not.

As key guard Josh Hart put it: “I don’t really know. I don’t really care, either.”

Hart spoke with NBC Sports Philadelphia to discuss Philadelphia’s offseason, the added juice to the rivalry with his New York side, his new partnership with Scouting America and more.

The 31-year-old Hart explained that the Knicks always view themselves as the hunters, even after winning the title.

“Right now, we’re trying to get that second one,” Hart said. “We’re not happy or not complacent with where we are now. So, whatever the media says, whoever the hunted is or the hunters…I don’t really care too much about it.”

Chemistry could also play an imperative role in the two teams’ respective trajectories. Philadelphia has to manage James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe, among others, while New York is locked and loaded with its Villanova cohort.

Hart, who has spent several years with Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges in both the pros and college, said that his chemistry with players is a key factor in team play.

“You can challenge someone at a different level than if that’s someone you just met,” Hart started. “You can encourage them a little bit more, and their voice holds a little bit more weight. So having that camaraderie definitely helps, and it’s something you have to build over time.”

The Knicks will also open the regular season at home to the Sixers. Do the new Philly additions add more juice to the rivalry?

“Yeah, I think there’s always juice,” Hart started. “Obviously, now you have the LeBron-oholics, whatever they call themselves, the LeBron fans, they kind of follow him wherever he goes. You have to deal with them, too.”

See the full Hart interview here:

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Or better yet, a flashbulb  – as New York Knicks fans gladly paid the grand to take a photograph alongside NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson after he delivered the team’s first championship in 53 years.

The cost to do so at Fanatics Fest, a four-day sports convention in Manhattan, was $937 plus fees. When they went on sale last month, some on social media criticized the exorbitant price for an interaction that lasts only seconds longer than the flash of the camera.

But they quickly sold out.

And the fans who bought them happily lined up Thursday to have a photographer take their picture next to Brunson for a moment that they called priceless.

“It was so worth it. Every penny, every cent,” said Murielle Georges of New Jersey as she wore an orange Knicks jumpsuit and held up the 8×10 photograph of her and Brunson. “You only live once, make it the best.”

Daniel Rahimi of Queens, New York, called it a once-in-a-lifetime experience – even while admitting his interaction was as brief as he expected and that the cost should have been lower.

“There are superfans like me that do things like that,” he said. “But I mean, look, everybody knows how to handle their money. So, I obviously made that decision for myself. If anybody doesn’t want to do that, take the photo, spend that much money, then I get it, and I think you gotta respect that.” 

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For others, the cost of their photo with Brunson made up only a portion of the day’s expenses. Some traveled across the country just to take the picture.

“Listen, in my life, I’ve spent a lot of money on stupid stuff,” said Richie Ortiz, a lifelong Knicks fan who traveled from Tampa, Florida. “And I would say more than anything, this is something that I got to do with my wife, and you can get these memories. It’s priceless.”

Paul Dey —  who flew in from San Diego, California, to join his brother Joel, who traveled from Fort Lauderdale, Florida – called it worthwhile and is already planning a return trip with his photo.

“Maybe next year [I] come back and get it signed,” he said.

Added Joel: “I bought it in a second. When are you gonna meet him that close?”

Even if only for a few seconds.

“He’s like a god to us, a sports god,” said Mark Glazman of Rumson, New Jersey – who was joined by his son and brother. “It was worth it. It’s a lot of money. I understand anybody who can’t swing it, but we were fortunate enough, and it was a great experience.”

Just as it was for younger fans.

Twin boys Aiden and Noah Covrigaru, 6, said they have been waiting their entire lives to meet Brunson, and finally got the opportunity to tell him he’s their hero.

“Look at the smiles on their face, they’re so happy,” said their father Matt. “It was a dream come true for them.”

But why didn’t Matt and the twins’ mom Dana get in the photo with them and Brunson?

“Because our oldest son is at sleepaway camp, and it didn’t feel right,” Dana said with a laugh.

One Knicks fan on line was sleeping when it was his time to have his photo taken with Brunson. Understandable, since he is only 2 months old.

But Brooks Thomas Cenar, who was born on May 6 and had to wait an entire five weeks before the Knicks finally won a title, came through in the clutch like Brunson.

“He just woke up in time for the photo,” said his father Tom. “He opened his eyes just in time to see Jalen himself.”

Brooks wore a No. 11 jersey onesie in the photo with his Brunson, his dad and his mom Kaitlin.

“Once in a lifetime experience, and grateful to be able to experience it with our son,” Tom said.

And the cost doesn’t matter when the moment is priceless.

“I don’t think you can put a price tag on memories,” Kaitlin said, “especially after winning the championship this year.”

A jersey worn by the All-Star guard during Game 1 of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs sold for $1,024,000 at Sotheby’s on Wednesday, setting a record for the most ever paid for a Knicks collectible item.

Fifteen Knicks jerseys from the team’s Game 1 comeback victory in San Antonio — one for each player — hit the auction block. They reeled in a combined $1,868,416, with Karl-Anthony Towns’ and OG Anunoby’s fetching $256,000 apiece.

Brunson’s was by far the most coveted, though, as a 70-bid battle ended with the final $1,024,000 price tag. The sale set additional records for the most ever paid for a Brunson collectible and the most ever paid for a jersey through NBA Auctions, besting the $1 million spent on a Cooper Flagg jersey worn during the first half of his NBA debut with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks trailed by as many as 14 points in Game 1 before Brunson led the team’s comeback efforts. The eventual Finals MVP overcame an early injury scare and scored 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 105-95 victory.

Comebacks were a theme for the Knicks in the Finals. They trailed by 12 points in their Game 2 victory in San Antonio, made Finals history with their 29-point rally in Game 4 and came back from 16 points down in Game 5 to clinch the team’s first title since 1973.

Giannis Antetokounmpo got traded to Miami for Tyler Herro. Jaylen Brown got traded to Philadelphia for Paul George. Kawhi Leonard got traded back to Toronto, Ja Morant got traded to Portland, LaMelo Ball got traded to Minnesota and Dusty May left NCAA champion Michigan to coach Dallas.

There have been some huge moves in the NBA in the past few days. But everybody, it seems, is waiting for James — again.

“He’s still the face of the league,” James’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said.

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If there was any question about whether the league’s oldest active player and NBA’s all-time points leader still moves the needle, that’s been answered.

Soccer’s World Cup is going on, the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden — the home of the NBA champion New York Knicks — is commanding global attention, it’s a holiday weekend in the U.S., and yet there’s still all sorts of intrigue surrounding where James will decide to play next season.

This much is certain: James, who turns 42 in December, will play a 24th season and it won’t be for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Officially, that’s the full list of what is known. Paul dropped some clues on the “Game Over” podcast that he shares with Max Kellerman — indicating by showing a whiteboard filled with scrawled-out possibilities that James is looking at a slew of teams, including and probably not limited to Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami, Minnesota, Denver, Golden State, San Antonio, Dallas, Boston and New York.

“If the Knicks hadn’t have won, there would be no board,” Paul said on the podcast. “He’d be going to the Knicks.”

When does LeBron have to decide?

The decision can come whenever he wants.

It can’t be announced or commented upon by a team before Monday at 12:01 p.m. Eastern — unless James signs for the minimum salary, which in his case would be about $3.9 million.

Will he make his announcement Saturday, on July 4 amid a celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday? Will he do it on July 8, the 16th anniversary of the famed “The Decision” broadcast?

Nobody knows. Nobody even knows if he knows. And nobody also knows if James intends for 2026-27 to be his final season.

“No one said this is going to be his last year,” Paul said. “Nobody said that.”

That raises the possibility of a 25th season — a quarter-century of LeBron, when nobody else in league history made it past a 22nd season.

What is LeBron looking for?

It’s pretty clear that money won’t be a huge factor here. James has earned nearly $600 million in gross salary on the court in his first 23 seasons, while his net worth is generally believed to exceed $1 billion.

Golf will matter. James is an avid — perhaps even rabid — golfer now, and Minnesota, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Denver, New York and Boston aren’t exactly places known for great golf offerings in January and February. That said, they all surely have great indoor facilities. It won’t be a deal-breaker.

He’ll want to play for a team that can contend for a title, not present quality-of-life issues, and appeals to his wife and daughter. Every spot on his list will be able to make a good case on all those fronts.

So, who is the front-runner?

The podcast had a ton of news and a ton of insight. Paul laid out how James would fit into the lineup of most of those teams, how acquisitions such as Philadelphia acquiring Brown changes dynamics, then talked about some of the reasons why James might be leaning toward — or away from — certain clubs.

But in the end, he didn’t provide any real hint.

“You can think whatever you think,” Paul said. “This is just my board. You decide what you want to think.”

And the wait continues.

So if a certain pop idol were to choose this island, at this moment, for her vows, could anywhere be more fitting?

“This city has always known how to celebrate big moments. But this summer, so many of them have collided at once,” says Rabbi Yael Buechler, 40, of the Riverdale section of the Bronx, who is preparing a “Swiftie Shabbat” this weekend with friendship bracelet cookies and a bedazzled challah bread she says is inspired by her “Chuppah Era.” “When I look back on the summer of 2026, I won’t remember just one event. I’ll remember a season when New York felt united in celebration.”

New York is always a city whose seduction battles its struggles, where the thrill of finding a subway car with an open seat meets the realization that it’s empty because its lone passenger is hurling trash across it. The schlepping, the waiting on line, the $9 boxes of cereal and $32 burgers and microscopic apartments with titanic rents, the sidewalk mounds of trash, the gutted rat you nearly step onto in the street. All of it can congeal into too much, separating New Yorkers for a season from New Yorkers for life.

But then there are those days when the streets are a storybook, with all the eclectic, utopian splendor Richard Scarry could muster, where you step out of an impossibly tiny, immeasurably cute cheese shop to find an impromptu classical concert on a front stoop. Neighbors exchange knowing looks at whatever absurdity unfolds before them, parks unfurl like paintings, a kaleidoscope of humanity seems in sync, lights twinkle, dumplings are cheap, pizza is perfect, bagels are fresh from the oven, dreams are all fulfilled.

Optimism emerges for summer in the city

In the battle between the slog of metropolitan life and its many daily gifts, some felt the recent arrival of a thumb on the scale.

The city’s trademark cynicism faded a bit. And in a place where celebrity passersby and visiting monarchs typically get the same collective shrug, a certain exuberance appeared. The beaming young mayor, fresh off an announcement that a swath of New York’s tenants would see no rent hike, was even found jumping into a city pool in a suit and tie.

This town has known seasons of many stripes, from that autumn of grief after 9/11 to that spring of solitude and trepidation as COVID-19 first emerged. They always pass. The city moves forward. But however long this Summer of New York stretches and the city pulsates with positivity, locals are relishing it.

“It’s easy to feel alone in the big city, but we all feel a bit closer right now,” says Dallas Short, a 38-year-old publicist who lives in the Two Bridges neighborhood of Manhattan. “Anything seems possible and attainable right now.”

More than anything, the Knicks’ fantastic run fueled today’s New York temperament, with its underdogs-coming-out-swinging, constantly-rallying-from-behind, Jalen Brunson methodically delivering, OG Anunoby tipping in an impossible shot, and millions of onlookers unsure of what they just witnessed as they slid into a warm bath of delight.

Spike Lee, a sideline fixture for decades and quintessential New Yorker, captured the city’s darker side with his film “Summer of Sam,” set in the city’s long-remembered summer of 1977. This year, he oozed joy even before victory was sealed.

“This is truly Fun City,” he proclaimed in The New York Times, “born again!”

Then there were those soccer games

Before the thrill of that even wore away, the world’s soccer fans descended, turning Times Square into a Viking longship and points across the city into flag-waving, drum-beating celebrations. In a city whose most iconic statue is a testament to its openness to newcomers, teams from Cape Verde to Paraguay to Congo found local fans and international visitors found compatriots.

“There is electricity in the air,” says Steven Gottlieb, a real estate agent and born-and-bred New Yorker who lives in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan. “Many of us have a love-hate relationship with New York City, but there’s a lot to love right now.”

Which brings us to none other than Taylor Swift.

After moving here over a decade ago, she penned “Welcome to New York,” which called the city a “true love” and portrayed it as an “ever-changing,” “drives you crazy,” “keeps you guessing” paramour.

Asked about her new home at the time, she told Rolling Stone, “In terms of being happy, I’ve never been closer.”

Swift was spotted courtside at Madison Square Garden in Game Four of the Knicks’ run. And if rumors and reports bear out, she’ll return to the arena this week to celebrate a marriage to football player Travis Kelce. It would arrive on a week capped by all the revelry the city can serve up for the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence, in a fireworks-blasting, tall ships-sailing spectacle.

In this city scarred by terror, darkened by blackout and flooded by storm, no New Yorker would be so naïve as to think it all will last. The rents will rise. The kvetching will return. The smells and the crowds will again grow too much.

Let it be remembered, though: For a blissful moment in the summer of 2026, joy reigned here.

Angie Baez, 40, was identified as the person seen dumping out one of the special edition trash cans during the Knicks celebration parade in Manhattan, according to the New York Post.

The blue and orange bins were put out last week by the New York City Department of Sanitation to commemorate the Knicks’ first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

A spokesperson for JP Morgan Chase told NBC News on Wednesday that Baez, formerly an executive director of community and industry engagement, no longer works for the company. The spokesperson would not comment on if she left the company as a result of the video.

Baez did not immediately return a call or email requesting comment from NBC News.

The Department of Sanitation confirmed that the trash can was returned to the city Wednesday morning.

“First, we would reiterate previous comments that dumping trash onto the street and stealing public property for your own personal use are both illegal, antisocial behaviors, and not what New Yorkers do,” the department said in a statement. “On top of all that, doing both on camera is incredibly stupid.”

The original video of the incident is no longer available. In an Instagram story, the woman credited with the video shared the Post’s reporting and expressed remorse over the situation.

The woman did not immediately respond to a message from NBC News.

“I genuinely feel so bad for her,” the woman wrote. “I never expected the response to be so negative when I posted that video. This is what our parents warned us about.”

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Hammon spoke to reporters at the Aces shootaround earlier in the day and then before Las Vegas’ home game against the New York Liberty. In the pregame news conference, Hammon opened by making a point to say she was wrong that the 6-foot-2 point guard was too small to lead the Knicks to the title.

Brunson earned NBA Finals MVP after guiding the Knicks to a five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He scored 45 points in the title-clinching game on June 13.

Hammon made her original comments on ESPN in December 2023, saying Brunson wasn’t a “1A dude.”

She was asked about her remarks at Aces shootaround.

“Jalen, all he did was prove history wrong,” Hammon said. “He proves he’s an outlier, so you can put his name next to Steph Curry and Isiah Thomas. I thought he played brilliantly, especially down the stretch.

“I mean, he was that 1A dude. But apologize? I’m never going to apologize for having an opinion. That’s what ESPN pays me for.”

This isn’t the first time in recent weeks she defended her original comments. Hammon also was asked her opinion after Brunson was named Eastern Conference final MVP when the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I think Jalen Brunson’s a hell of a player, a hell of a player,” Hammon said on May 26. “I’m speaking historically on the NBA with what I said. I don’t know why everybody’s so stuck on that. I said it two years ago.

“I said what I said. If he proves me wrong, he proves me wrong.”

___

Associated Press freelance reporter W.G. Ramirez contributed to this report.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Banners hung on the outside of City Hall in Manhattan on Thursday honoring each player on the 2026 roster that helped bring the franchise its first NBA title in 53 years.

That included…No. 33?

That number, last worn by the legendary Knicks center and retired in his honor in 2003, was topped on the banner with the last name of current Knicks bench player Dillon Jones.

Jones played in just seven games for the Knicks this season, and he wore the No. 1. While playing for the Washington Wizards during the preseason, Jones did wear No. 33, and some Knicks rosters online inaccurately list it as his current jersey number.

A spokesman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times the error came about because Jones’ number was listed as No. 33 on the team’s online roster.

But the millions who attended the parade are well aware who the number truly belongs to – even if some staffers in Mamdani’s office are not.

Ewing wore it for the duration of his 15-year career with the organization while becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played, points scored, rebounds, blocks and other categories. The Hall of Famer, an 11-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection, brought the Knicks within one victory of an NBA championship in 1994 before falling to the Houston Rockets.

The Knicks went another 32 years before ending their championship drought. For that achievement, they were honored with a parade down the Canyon of Heroes, a route that ends at City Hall.

Each player’s name and number were displayed on the exterior of the building as a backdrop to the stage where the post-parade ceremony took place.

Ewing was on hand for the parade and ceremony but has not yet publicly commented on the mix-up.

“Damn, New York, we really did it,” Brunson, the finals MVP, said at a celebration at City Hall. “Somehow, someway, I knew we were going to find a way to get this done.”

Moments later, Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented keys to the city to the Knicks’ players, coaches, owners and staff. Wearing a team jersey under his suit jacket, Mamdani said he and other fans “waited because we knew deep down in our sick, suffering hearts” the Knicks would someday win.

Blue and orange confetti swirled through the air during the parade. Massive cheers of “Let’s go, Knicks!” and “Knicks in five!” kept erupting.

And OG Anunoby, who scored the go-ahead basket in Game 4 of the finals on a tip-in with 1.2 seconds left, left his parade float to interact with fans, holding the NBA Cup in-season championship trophy in one hand and a bottle of Patron tequila in the other.

Director Spike Lee, perhaps the team’s most iconic fan, was on a float with Brunson, savoring the moment. “I’ve never been to a parade — ever — and I’m glad it’s this one,” Lee said.

The MVP’s mom, Sandra Brunson, wore a shirt with photos of Jalen and husband Rick, who played for the Knicks and is an assistant on coach Mike Brown’s staff. She echoed her son’s words, saying, “It was all worth it.”

Karl-Anthony Towns hoisted the Eastern Conference championship trophy and a cigar on top of a parade bus while Mamdani danced. Later, Towns approached a group of kids with the NBA trophy to let them get their hands on it, bringing joyful screams.

Knicks fans turn out in force

Several blocks from the parade route, fans stood shoulder to shoulder — sometimes on each other’s shoulders — or climbed traffic lights and sanitation trucks. Far away on the Brooklyn Bridge, people gathered just to hear the loudspeakers.

“I had to be here today,” said Shareefa Wallace, 34, who got up at 3 a.m. to make her way from suburban Long Island. She grew up in the city going to Knicks games, and she sported the souvenir jersey of a legend from that era, Patrick Ewing.

Owner James Dolan thanked fans for waiting more than a half-century. Brown encouraged fans to keep their energy going “because this championship is about you guys.”

‘The New York vibe’

Nearby bars and delis filled with fans, some wishing they’d arrived at dawn. But many seemed at peace with only experiencing the parade from a distance.

“We just want to be with the New York energy and the New York vibe,” said Jean Strong, who came to the parade from Harlem with his nephew and sister.

Terrell Emerson, a chef who grew up in Queens, said he drove from Maryland with his daughter Madison — named in honor of the Knicks’ home arena, Madison Square Garden.

Beaming, Madison held a handwritten sign announcing she’d skipped her fifth-grade graduation to be there.

Stars and Knicks legends

Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier — a member of the ’70s champion teams — led the parade in a stylish convertible, wearing his NBA title rings. Frazier had late teammates and coaches on his mind.

“They would be amazed at what has happened to the Knicks and how they’ve really captivated the city this year,” Frazier said. “This has exceeded any expectations I ever thought that we’d have.”

Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Jon Stewart, Mariska Hargitay, Tracy Morgan and other celebrities joined the party, while Knicks play-by-play announcer Mike Breen emceed the City Hall ceremony.

Alicia Keys performed her 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind” and a portion of the Billy Joel classic, “New York State of Mind.”

A parade decades in the making

The mere fact that the parade is happening is historic in itself. Although the Knicks won the championship twice in the 1970s, the city didn’t host a parade for them either time. Then-Mayor John Lindsay had cut down on ticker-tape extravaganzas for financial and other reasons. Instead, he held a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jam-packed ceremony in 1973 outside City Hall.

This time, the city went all out. A police officer could be seen holding a sign reading, “This is really happening.”

And a massive security operation

Officials said 10,000 police officers were deployed to secure the event, which follows ebullient but sometimes chaotic street celebrations and some violence during the Knicks’ title run, including a five-game final against San Antonio.

Police said 10 people in the area around the parade were arrested and three others were issued summonses, on charges ranging from disorderly conduct to felony assault. The Fire Department said it took 30 people to hospitals and treated 31 others at the scene for ailments that included heat-related emergencies, asthma and minor injuries.

Before the parade, a small group of people were crushed against a barrier near Fulton Street, a key subway hub, pinned between a swelling crowd and a group of police officers shoving the barrier.

Some 650 sanitation workers were assigned to clean up what could be tens of thousands of pounds (kilograms) of debris, if recent history is any guide.

Why does New York throw ticker-tape parades?

Ticker-tape parades derive their name from the narrow strips of paper used by telegraph-era “stock ticker” machines. New York brokerage firm workers tossed the paper from office windows during parades in the late 19th century, adding a swirling spectacle.

Over the years, especially up to the mid-1960s, the city rolled out ticker-tape parades for visiting foreign leaders, historic anniversaries and feats in aviation, war, sports, music, space travel and more.

The Knicks’ parade was the 210th, coming after a bash for the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2024.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Julie Walker in New York and AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in Southampton, New York, contributed.

Crowds have packed lower Manhattan on Thursday as the Knicks championship parade moves up Broadway, drawing fans eager to support coach Mike Brown and his championship‑winning squad.

A steady wave of celebrity sightings has built along the route, adding another layer of excitement to the city’s long‑awaited celebration.

Celebrities are appearing on floats, balconies and sidewalks, prompting bursts of crowd noise as the parade moves through the Canyon of Heroes. 

While millions are filling the streets for the team’s first title parade in 53 years, here, we take a look at the star-studded sightings seen along the route.

Timothée Chalamet

Ben Stiller

Chris Rock

Martha Stewart

Walt “Clyde” Frazier

Mariska Hargitay

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

John Turturro

Spike Lee

Bernard King

Edie Falco and Steve Schirripa

Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul

Tracy Morgan

Fat Joe

Carmelo Anthony

John Starks

Ja Rule

Matthew Modine

Jon Stewart

Alicia Keys

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Finals MVP Jalen Brunson arrived at Thursday’s festivities with his wife and daughter at his side.

Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant coach and Jalen’s father, is also getting in on the fun with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Jalen Brunson married his wife, Ali, in July 2023 in a wedding that doubled-up as a Villanova championship reunion. Fellow Knicks champions Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, who were also Brunson’s teammates with the Wildcats, were among those in attendance.

A year later, Jalen and Ali welcomed their daughter, Jordyn James Brunson in July 2024.

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The NYPD said shortly before 7:30 a.m. ET that all viewing pens were already full. No one else is being allowed in.

Anyone who leaves the viewing pens will be denied reentry.

NYPD also reminded paradegoers that no trains will be stopping south of Canal Street.

NBC New York will air live coverage of the championship parade starting at 9 a.m. ET as the Knicks celebrate their first NBA title in 53 years.

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It certainly looks like the biggest parade in New York City history.

The Big Apple is feting the New York Knicks with a ticker-tape parade for their first NBA Championship title in 53 years. Millions of people are overflowing Lower Manhattan.

And an unprecedented number of cops — more than 10,000 –– are assigned in what the NYPD calls its largest-ever deployment for a single event.

Follow along for live Knicks parade updates:

President Donald Trump’s hometown team will be the first NBA champions to visit the White House during either of his terms in office.

Knicks owner James Dolan first shared the news in an interview with WFAN sports radio Wednesday.

“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan said. “We still have to figure out the details, etc., but yes, of course.”

A White House official told NBC News on Wednesday that administration officials have “been in touch with the Knicks and look forward to hosting the team at a date to be determined in the near future.”

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Dolan on Wednesday touted his relationship with Trump, whom he invited to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 8.

“Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House,” Dolan said.

Trump was booed at the game, the only one the Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs during the five-game series.

He watched the game from Dolan’s box, where he was joined by several administration officials, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Trump celebrated the Knicks’ championship early Sunday on Truth Social, congratulating Dolan and top players Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.

“What a year it has been but, even more so, what incredible playoff wins we have all witnessed, especially the last four — Maybe the greatest in the history of basketball,” he wrote.

The Knicks are expected to visit the White House after NBA championship-winning teams skipped the meeting for years, starting with the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

Star player Stephen Curry said in September 2017 that he was not interested in visiting Trump’s White House, sparking a furious social media post from Trump.

“Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” Trump wrote on X in September 2017.

The Warriors did not visit the White House the next year after they won the championship again. The Toronto Raptors did not attend the White House after their 2019 win, either.

In 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship win was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the team did not visit the White House. However, Trump told reporters in 2018 he would not invite Lakers player LeBron James to the White House after James stood behind Curry’s criticisms.

When Trump returned to office last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder said they would not visit the White House after their championship win because of “timing” issues.

Three teams visited during President Joe Biden’s term — the Milwaukee Bucks, the Warriors and the Boston Celtics in 2021, 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Not hundreds of thousands, but millions of people are expected to attend Thursday’s Knicks championship parade in lower Manhattan, the NYPD said Wednesday afternoon.

Calling such volume a “rare operational challenge,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said she’s ordered the largest deployment of police — more than 10,000 officers — to an event in New York City history.

Hordes of Knicks fans are expected to descend on the Canyon of Heroes for their franchise’s first-ever ticker-tape parade, a championship march 53 years in the making and one the entire city has gotten behind.

An NYPD spokesperson says the deployment will include NYPD aviation teams by helicopter, NYPD drones, heavy weapons teams, K-9s and explosive detection dogs, highway units, and transit officers. Most of those deployments will be visible as uniformed NYPD officers, but there will also be a plainclothes operation.

“We want people to enjoy, but public safety comes first,” Tisch said Wednesday.

The parade steps off from Battery Park at 10 a.m. Thursday and makes its way to City Hall, where there will be a Keys to the City ceremony. How can you get near the festivities? Here are the most important things to know.

More than 50 floats and other vehicles are expected to participate, an NYPD spokesperson says.

Tisch said the best way to get there is public transit, but there will be service disruptions.

Click here for specifics on street closures, security, and access points. Full parade details here.

Fresh off their first NBA title since 1973, the Knicks are being honored with a ticker-tape extravaganza starting Thursday morning in lower Manhattan. It will be the first time down the Canyon of Heroes for the Knicks, and the city’s first ticker-tape parade since the New York Liberty won their first-ever WNBA championship in 2024.

(There were no parades following Knicks title wins in the early 1970s.)

We have all the information you need to know about the 2026 parade and the ceremony at City Hall, including when the festivities begin, the parade route, the best spots to watch, and more.

When is the parade?

The parade is set to kick off at 10 a.m.

When can crowds start getting their spots?

Pens will open at 6 a.m.

Where does the parade take place?

The parade starts at Bowling Green in lower Manhattan and travels up along Broadway, through the Canyon of Heroes, until it reaches City Hall.

Parade route map:

What is the schedule for the festivities?

After the parade reaches City Hall, there is a ceremony scheduled for 12 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. There will be speeches, musical performances, special guests, and more. Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also present each team member with a Key to the City.

It is not clear how long the ceremony will last.

What happens if it rains?

The city said the timing of the parade and the date could be switched, “depending on severity.” At this point, it is expected to go on as scheduled.

Do I need a ticket?

Planning on going to the parade? No ticket is necessary, it is open and free to all who wish to attend — but be sure to get there early to get a good spot, as it is sure to be crowded.

However, the City Hall ceremony is not open to the public, and a ticket is required. The city is giving away 600 tickets to the event. The lottery for that closes at 11 a.m. Wednesday. If your name gets chosen you’d be notified later Wednesday afternoon.

Best spots to watch:

Bowling Green is where the parade starts and where some of the athletes will be waiting on floats, so a good opportunity to get a photo of Brunson, KAT, OG, or whomever. Also, there will be no confetti in that area, so it may be the best spot for a photo.  

It’s going to be crowded (to say the least), but the area by Zuccotti Park is one of the widest spots along the parade route. That means the crowds may have a little elbow room. Emphasis on “a little.”

For those looking to enjoy the confetti, try going near City Hall. That’s because some of the city’s oldest skyscrapers are located there, which means there are windows that open to the action — and where people will be tossing the most confetti.

Here are all the spots with access to the parade route:

• Washington St. & Morris St. / Battery Place
• Trinity Place & Morris St.
• Trinity Place & Exchange Aly
• Trinity Place & Rector St.
• Trinity Place & Thames St.
• Trinity Place & Cedar St.
• Church St. & Liberty St.
• Church St. & Cortlandt St.
• Church St. & Dey St.
• Church St. & Fulton St.
• Church St. & Barclay St.
• Church St. & Park Pl.
• Church St. & Murray St.
• Church St. & Warren St.
• Church St. & Thomas St.
• New St. & Exchange pl.
• New St. & Wall St.
• Nassau St. & Pine St.
• Nassau St. & Cedar St.
• Nassau St. & Liberty St.
• Nassau St. & Maiden Lane
• Nassau St. & John St.
• Nassau St. & Ann St.

Where to watch if you can’t attend:

Can’t make it to the parade in person? The parade will be broadcast on NBC New York starting at 9 a.m. and will be available wherever you stream.

Get details on parade-related security and transit changes here.

New York City is getting ready for what may be its biggest ticker-tape extravaganza in history, a fete for the Knicks celebrating their long-awaited NBA Championship. Hundreds of thousands may attend.

Street closures and security protocols will be in effect. The NYPD says it intends to announce more of both as the parade approaches. In the meantime, here’s what to know.

Which streets will be closed for Knicks’ parade?

• Starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, parking will not be allowed south of Canal. Cars will be towed if they are not removed. 
• Starting at 7 a.m. on Thursday, south of Canal Street will be shut down to vehicular traffic from the Hudson River to the East River.
• The FDR and West Side Highway will remain open.
  Traffic coming off the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan will only be able to go northbound on the FDR.
• Pedestrians will be able to use the walkway.
• Staten Island Ferry service will be increased and will run every 15 minutes.

If you live or work in the area, you will be able to access your office building or your home with proper ID.

Any changes to the subway?

Limited public transit impacts are expected.

The following subway stations will close starting at 4:30 a.m. Thursday and reopen following the parade and ceremony at City Hall.

• Wall Street (4, 5)
• City Hall (R, W)

The following stations will stay open:

• Bowling Green (4, 5)
• Fulton (4,5,J,Z,2,3)
• Brooklyn Bridge (4,5,6)
• Chambers St (J,Z)
• Park Place (2,3)
• Accessibility

What should I know about security?

All attendees will be screened. Pens will open at 6 a.m. No bags are permitted.

Other prohibited items include:

• Glass or metal water bottles NOTE: plastic water bottles will be allowed 
• Bats/batons
• Bicycles or scooters
• Chairs
• Coolers
• Drones
• Backpacks
• Pets
• Strollers
• Umbrellas
• Weapons

How can I get access to the route?

The NYPD shares the following list of access points.

• Washington St. & Morris St. / Battery Place
• Trinity Place & Morris St.
• Trinity Place & Exchange Aly
• Trinity Place & Rector St.
• Trinity Place & Thames St.
• Trinity Place & Cedar St.
• Church St. & Liberty St.
• Church St. & Cortlandt St.
• Church St. & Dey St.
• Church St. & Fulton St.
• Church St. & Barclay St.
• Church St. & Park Pl.
• Church St. & Murray St.
• Church St. & Warren St.
• Church St. & Thomas St.
• New St. & Exchange pl.
• New St. & Wall St.
• Nassau St. & Pine St.
• Nassau St. & Cedar St.
• Nassau St. & Liberty St.
• Nassau St. & Maiden Lane
• Nassau St. & John St.
• Nassau St. & Ann St.

Fresh off their first NBA title since 1973, the New York Knicks are set to be celebrated with a ticker-tape parade starting Thursday morning in lower Manhattan. It will be the first time down the Canyon of Heroes for the Knicks, because there were no parades following their titles in 1970 or three years later.

We have all the information you need to know about the parade and the ceremony at City Hall, including when the festivities begin, the parade route, the best spots to watch, and more.

When is the parade?

The parade is set to kick off at 10 a.m.

When can crowds start getting their spots?

Pens will open at 6 a.m.

Where does the parade take place?

The parade starts at Bowling Green in lower Manhattan and travels up along Broadway, through the Canyon of Heroes, until it reaches City Hall.

Parade route map:

What is the schedule for the festivities?

After the parade reaches City Hall, there is a ceremony scheduled for 12 p.m. at City Hall plaza. There will be speeches, musical performances, special guests and more. Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also present the keys to the city to members of the team.

It is not clear how long the ceremony will last.

What happens if it rains?

The city said the timing of the parade as well as the date of the parade could be switched, “depending on severity.”

Do I need a ticket?

Planning on going to the parade? No ticket is necessary, it is open and free to all who wish to attend — but be sure to get there early to get a good spot, as it is sure to be crowded.

However, the City Hall ceremony is not open to the public, and a ticket is required. The city announced that it would be giving away 600 tickets to attend the event, with 300 lucky winners chosen by a lottery. More information on the lottery is available here.

Best spots to watch:

Bowling Green is where the parade starts and where some of the athletes will be waiting on floats, so a good opportunity to get a photo of Brunson, KAT, OG, or whomever. Also, there will be no confetti in that area, so it may be the best spot for a photo.  

It’s going to be crowded (to say the least), but the area by Zuccotti Park is one of the widest spots along the parade route. That means the crowds may have a little elbow room. Emphasis on “a little.”

For those looking to enjoy the confetti, try going near City Hall. That’s because some of the city’s oldest skyscrapers are located there, which means there are windows that open to the action — and where people will be tossing the most confetti.

Here are all the spots with access to the parade route:

• Washington St. & Morris St. / Battery Place
• Trinity Place & Morris St.
• Trinity Place & Exchange Aly
• Trinity Place & Rector St.
• Trinity Place & Thames St.
• Trinity Place & Cedar St.
• Church St. & Liberty St.
• Church St. & Cortlandt St.
• Church St. & Dey St.
• Church St. & Fulton St.
• Church St. & Barclay St.
• Church St. & Park Pl.
• Church St. & Murray St.
• Church St. & Warren St.
• Church St. & Thomas St.
• New St. & Exchange pl.
• New St. & Wall St.
• Nassau St. & Pine St.
• Nassau St. & Cedar St.
• Nassau St. & Liberty St.
• Nassau St. & Maiden Lane
• Nassau St. & John St.
• Nassau St. & Ann St.

Where to watch if you can’t attend:

Can’t make it to the parade in person? The parade will be broadcast on NBC New York starting at 9 a.m. and will be available wherever you stream.

What items are not allowed:

There will be security screening for all those looking to attend. No bags will be allowed, nor will any of the following items at the parade and the City Hall celebration.

• Glass or metal water bottles (NOTE: plastic water bottles will be allowed)
• Bats/batons
• Bicycles or scooters
• Chairs
• Coolers
• Drones
• Backpacks
• Pets
• Strollers
• Umbrellas
• Weapons

Anyone who works in a building along the parade route will be allowed to enter, as long as they have proper identification. Same goes for anyone who lives in the area.

Subway changes:

The Wall Street station on the 4/5 line and the City Hall station on the R/W line will be closed starting at 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Here’s what stations will remain open and can be used instead:

• Bowling Green (4, 5)
• Fulton (4,5,J,Z,2,3)
• Brooklyn Bridge (4,5,6)
• Chambers St (J,Z)
• Park Place (2,3)

Impacts on traffic:

No parking will be allowed south of Canal Street starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Any cars not moved will be towed, according to the city.

Twelve hours later, at 7 a.m. Thursday, all areas south of Canal will be shut down to vehicular traffic from the Hudson River to the East River, with the exceptions of the FDR and the West Side Highway remaining open. Any traffic coming from the Brooklyn Bridge will only be able to go north, though pedestrians will be able to use the walkway.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a lottery for 600 tickets to the ceremony celebrating the Knicks’ NBA championship, the team’s first title since 1973.

“From packed watch parties in our parks to joyous celebrations that spilled out onto our streets, this championship belongs to New York City,” Mamdani said in a press release. “The Knicks brought together New Yorkers from every borough and every walk of life. That’s why we’re making these tickets free and accessible – so working-class people have a chance to be part of this historic moment and celebrate the team that brought a championship home.”

The lottery opened Tuesday night and will stay open until 11 a.m. Wednesday. There will be 300 winners selected, with each lucky fan getting two tickets, according to the city.

The sweepstakes can be entered at this link through the NBA. Winners will be notified after the lottery closes.

The ceremony begins at noon on Thursday at City Hall Plaza in lower Manhattan. In addition to speeches and musical performances, there will also be a special presentation to honor the championship season. Mamdani will be giving the Knicks with keys to the city.

If you don’t get a ticket, you can still be one of the thousands of fans expected to line the streets of lower Manhattan to celebrate the Knicks in the ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes. The parade will kick off near Battery Park at 10 a.m., then will travel north along Broadway before ending at City Hall.

Players and coaches will be joined by elected officials and other special guests along the parade route, which is free and open to all. But anyone looking for a good spot should get there early, with crowds expected to begin forming at least two hours before the start of the parade. And it may be a good idea to bring a poncho or a raincoat (umbrellas won’t be allowed).

Before the New York Knicks raise their championship banner at Madison Square Garden to commemorate the franchise’s historical milestone, another memento from the team’s successful season was raised over a different stage — Jimmy Fallon’s studio.

The team stopped by “The Tonight Show” on Monday to celebrate defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 and giving the Knicks their first NBA championship in 53 years.

During the team’s championship run, Fallon said he wore the same sneaker whenever he attended or watched a game. But that’s not what made them lucky. While sitting courtside during Game 1 of the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers, which the Knicks won 137-98, Josh Hart bent down and untied the laces as he was heading to the bench.

“You walked by and I thought you were fixing your sock or something, and you untied my shoe,” Fallon recalled to Hart. “And then you won by like 20 points or whatever. And then next game I went to, you did it again, and then you also won, and then the comeback game you did it again. So, every time I watched the game, I kept untying my shoe.”

Hart told Fallon the untying ritual became “our thing.”

“When I’m on the court I’m locked in, but once I step off the court I like just having fun,” Hart said. “So, I saw you and I was like, ‘You know what? Let me mess with Jimmy a little bit.’ So, I untied the shoe.”

Fallon had the entire team autograph the sneaker, saving a spot for Hart to sign it during the show.

“I’d be honored if you’re the last Knick to sign my shoe and then maybe we can retire it to the rafters here at 30 Rock,” Fallon said.

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After Hart signed the sneaker, a wire dropped from the ceiling and Hart helped Fallon attach the sneaker and raise it.

“This will live in the rafters forever,” Fallon said.

The team was introduced to an audience of Knicks superfans by the most recognizable Knicks fan of all, Spike Lee.

Jalen Brunson brought along their new hardware, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, delivering on a promise he made to Fallon during his previous appearance on the show in 2024.

“Last time you were on the show I said, ‘When the Knicks win the championship will you bring the trophy here?’” Fallon said. “And you’re a man of your word.”

Brunson said winning the championship, with the Knicks completing multiple comeback victories to do so, has not yet sunk in.

“I don’t know if it will for a while,” he said. “But the opportunity presented itself, we went out there together as a team, we found a way to do it, fighting back all those games. It was worth it. It was well worth it.”

Brunson also revealed that listening to Justin Bieber as part of his pregame ritual helps him get in the zone. Teammate Karl-Anthony Towns has a superstition of his own that he credits for helping them win — girlfriend Jordyn Woods’ mini orange clutch purse.

“What do you want me to say? We were undefeated in the playoffs,” Towns said. “Obviously she makes the magic when she made that Woods by Jordyn bag.”

Towns recalled appearing on the show for the first time in 2015 after being drafted into the NBA, with his late mother in attendance.

“It’s crazy being in this seat again, knowing her energy was here and you and her had such a great relationship and you made her laugh so much over the years,” Towns said. “It’s awesome that I get to come back to this space with the intention when you get drafted you want to win the NBA title, and to come back here talking to you again with the NBA title, I did what I was supposed to do.”

Coach Mike Brown finally explained the backstory behind his “Who let the dogs out” chant, which became one of the postseason’s most-shared memes. Brown said it was a pregame ritual from his time coaching a youth flag football team called the “Dogs,” before breaking out in the chant with the entire studio audience.   

“We gotta put that to bed,” Brunson joked.

OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges broke down Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in that completed the Knicks’ 29-point comeback in Game 4.

“I saw a man flying, I couldn’t believe that he had the athleticism to tip the ball in, in air, have control of the ball,” Bridges said. “A crazy play.”

Fallon told Anunoby that he appeared very stoic during that postgame interview, having finished “one of the best games ever” and being coy in his response to reporters’ questions.

“They go, ‘How did you feel?’ And you go, ‘It felt cool,’” Fallon said.

“It was cool,” Anunoby responded. “But it was cool. Was it not cool? It was cool, yeah.”  

Bridges, who teamed up with Brunson and Hart to win a title 10 years after the trio won an NCAA championship with Villanova University, was asked what those college years were like and if the players all got along.  

“You want the truth? Josh was a bully,” Bridges said. “But after the bullying stage, that’s when we got real close.”

The team’s “Tonight Show” appearance is the latest stop on a celebratory tour. New York City will host a ticker-tape parade on Thursday, June 18.

“Thursday’s victory parade starts around 10 a.m. at Battery Park and should end sometime around Thanksgiving,” Fallon quipped.

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Mamdani was in Madison Square Garden last week for the Knicks’ Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs. Swift was there for the next home game. Both proudly wore orange and blue.

Their closeness appears to end there.

Asked Monday at a parade-related briefing about Swift’s upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce, Mamdani said no, he wasn’t invited, and no, he hasn’t been in touch with her.

“I wish them a lovely wedding. I’ll listen to ‘Only the Young’ at home, on my own,” Mamdani said.

Madison Square Garden has garnered attention as a possible location for Swift’s upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce. Lately, Page Six and TMZ have reported an early July date at the arena.

There has been no confirmation of any of the couple’s plans.

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It didn’t matter, because their unbreakable chemistry made sure that no deficit was too great — even a 29-point hole that no team had ever rallied from in the history of the finals.

The Knicks pulled off one last comeback on June 13 to beat the Spurs 94-90 and bring home their first NBA title in 53 years with a 4-1 win in the series. The starting five of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby explained on “TODAY” June 15 how they were able to stick together through the adversity during their championship run.

“I think what we found is that we built these past two years of us being together, we built a chemistry, we built a rapport where no matter what was going on in the game, we were going to find a way to turn it around and just kind of pick it up,” Brunson told Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin.

“It’s the way we hold each other accountable, it’s the way we find a way to push each other, no matter what’s the situation,” he continued. “Somebody may be feeling down about something that happened in the game, but it’s on at least one of us to pick that person up. And I feel like the longer we play together, it wasn’t just one person, it was everybody. We always had each other’s back. It made it 10 times more special.”

Under the glare of the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998, they were able to lean on each other. They also produced one of the most breathtaking stretches of basketball the NBA has ever seen with a dominant 13-game winning streak during their playoff run, including sweeps of the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

“When we step on that court, we look to the left and we look to the right, and we see our brothers, and we want to play for each other,” Towns said. “We want to be the best we can for each other. We don’t want to disappoint each other.”

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Two members of the team are literally family. Brunson and his father, Knicks assistant coach and former Knicks point guard Rick Brunson, shared a joyous hug after the final buzzer sounded in Game 5.

That moment and the victory was so overwhelming that a tearful Jalen Brunson had no words in a postgame interview.

“I was just trying to find the right words,” he said on “TODAY.” “I really couldn’t. It was a magical moment. It was honestly something truly special that no matter how I try to explain it, it won’t really grasp how special it was. I’m just happy that obviously I had my teammates with me, my family was there. To be able to do it with my dad as well, it was a really special moment.”

The win June 13 marks the Knicks’ first NBA title since 1973 and the third overall in franchise history. They achieved it in pulse-pounding fashion, with the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history during Game 4.

After dropping Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, they pulled off a comeback for the ages to go up 3-1 when Anunoby tipped in a missed shot with 1.2 seconds remaining. Towns called Anunoby’s tip-in “the right hand of God” in the postgame press conference.

It will go down as one of the most legendary moments in New York sports, but the stoic Anunoby has taken it all in stride.

“At the time, we had to get ready for Game 5, so we couldn’t be too excited about it just because we had to erase it and move on to the next day and get ready for the next game,” Anunoby said of his initial reaction. “Now it’s a really cool moment. I love my teammates, I love these guys, I love the fans.”

Brunson poured in 45 points to power Game 5’s 94-90 comeback win in San Antonio that brought home the title. The Knicks captain was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in the series.

He has now won a championship at every level of basketball — high school, college and the NBA.

“I don’t think it’s truly settled in at all,” Brunson said. “Honestly, we’re really grateful for the opportunity that presented itself and just happy that we seized the moment. I wouldn’t want to do it with another group of men then that I have right here.”

Three of the starting five famously have a long history, as Hart, Brunson and Bridges helped lead Villanova to a national championship in 2016. Brunson and Bridges then combined for a second national championship for the Wildcats in 2018. Their former head coach, Jay Wright, sent them a special message of congratulations on “TODAY” as the “Nova Knicks” basked in their championship glow.

“It’s cool to live this moment with my brothers next to me,” Hart said.

Anunoby played college ball at Indiana and Towns at Kentucky, but they have now become part of a tight-knit group who will be remembered forever in New York sports lore. In an earlier interview that aired on “TODAY,” Anunoby told Craig that his tip-in was simply a product of his love for his teammates.

“They’re the best friends in the world,” he said. “I’d do anything for them.”

They also aren’t done celebrating — a victory parade will take place on June 18 through the famed Canyon of Heroes in the streets of Manhattan. 

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Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flock to lower Manhattan Thursday to celebrate the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years — a feat that seals Jalen Brunson in the upper echelons of franchise history and restores glory to a team and fanbase that have long been waiting.

The Knicks toppled the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals this year, clinching the championship and securing a day full of confetti, floats, and full-on celebration for New Yorkers and Knicks fans across the U.S.

Thursday’s parade kicks off at 10 a.m. near Battery Park and moves north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he will present the Knicks with Keys to the City.

“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” Mamdani said in a statement. “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.”

It’ll be the first ticker-tape parade in franchise history. The Knicks didn’t get one when they won in 1973.

On Monday, the mayor was assisting in parade preps. He headed to a Department of Transportation sign shop, where he took questions, and is set to make parade decorations with kids later.

Asked about heightened security measures for the parade, especially in light of the utter chaos that broke out as Knicks fans celebrated Game 4 and Game 5 wins, Mamdani acknowledged the pressure.

“We’re going to take every precaution that this be a safe and joyous moment for New Yorkers because, as we all know, people have been waiting their entire lives for this,” the mayor said.

He noted that the Knicks’ extravaganza “may well be the largest parade in New York City.”

Mamdani said more details on the parade are expected in the next few days. He stressed the need for fans to “celebrate responsibly.”

The last ticker-tape parade New York City held along the Canyon of Heroes was for the New York Liberty’s WNBA championship in 2024. The events have been going on since the late 1800s to fete the biggest moments.

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To the Men and Women of the NYPD: 

Throughout the Knicks’ playoff run, this department has been asked to do a great deal, and as always, you met the moment.

That work culminated last night, as New York City celebrated a championship and the NYPD managed unprecedented conditions across all five boroughs.

You worked through a long and grueling night. As celebrations unfolded across the city, you responded wherever you were needed, helping to maintain order, keep people safe, and, to the extent possible, ensure celebrations remained celebratory and not violent. You did that bravely.

Many of you worked more than 12-hour tours. Many came in on canceled RDOs. And after working through the long night, many of you turned around and reported to work the Puerto Rican Day Parade and FIFA watch parties this morning.

Whether you were on a post outside Madison Square Garden, assigned to anti-looting details on commercial corridors across the five boroughs, answering radio runs, part of the SRG disorder-control response, or working any of the countless assignments required over the past several weeks, you managed to meet the challenges that came with one of the most closely watched periods this city has seen in years.

I know many of you are Knicks fans yourselves. While millions of New Yorkers followed this team’s run and celebrated each step along the way, you were the ones working to make those moments possible.

That also meant dealing with a relatively small number of people who used celebration as an excuse to create disorder and put others at risk. You stepped into those conditions and helped prevent those actions from defining the championship run.

What you did throughout these playoffs, and especially last night, deserves real recognition. From supervisors at every rank leading from the front to the cops holding posts across the city, this was a remarkable department-wide effort. I am grateful for it and the people of this city are too. I know many of you share my joy and relief that this was Knicks in 5!

But we’re not done yet. Thursday’s championship parade will place significant demands on the NYPD, and I know you will meet that challenge the same way you met every challenge throughout these playoffs.

God bless you all and stay safe.

Jessica S. Tisch

Police Commissioner

From Times Square to Harlem to the West Village, fans were living in the moment. But there was also some destruction. The New York City Police Dept. reports over 60 people were arrested. Buses were set on fire. And fireworks were reported being set off across the five boroughs.

“I’m such a proud Knicks fan, I’ve been searching all of the city for a daily newspaper, said Jay King, who held up a copy of Sunday’s Daily News. “I bought one off a news person, gave him about triple more the price… putting this on my wall.” Outside Madison Square Garden Sunday, Knicks fans were still celebrating, proudly sporting their blue and orange and still basking in the glow of Saturday night’s historic victory.

Sumeet Chachlani was up until 4:00 Sunday morning, converting his BMW into a shrine to the Knicks and the “New York or nowhere” slogan. He says he’s getting a huge reaction.

“People are yelling, people are dancing, people are like ‘let’s go Knicks,’ people are like ‘I love the car, I love it.’”

The streets of New York were electric Saturday, with thousands of revelers flooding Manhattan.

From Midtown to the Village, the euphoria was unmatched. “Beautiful chaos,” said King. “Everyone is just so happy, no matter race, creed whatever, it’s just beautiful chaos.”

But the chaos kept the NYPD busy. Five school buses were set on fire. A 17-year-old was shot in Times Square. 4 people were slashed or stabbed and 10 police officers were injured. Police arrested 63 people.

Officials say 10 members of the NYPD got hurt, including one officer who was punched in the face.

“The violence — I don’t condone that,” King told NBC New York. “We don’t condone the violence. The bus company — their insurance will pay that out. Happy nobody got burned,” he added.

Evelyn added that the “school bus on fire — that’s probably going a little bit too far. But to see people going crazy, people were crying, I was crying it’s amazing.”

In the end, he clearly was the right choice.

Brown is now a five-time NBA champion coach — four of those rings won as an assistant, the fifth coming as head coach of the Knicks. He joins only Red Holzman on the list of those who won titles as coach of the Knicks, and fittingly, he did it on June 13.

There’s a banner in Madison Square Garden that says “Holzman 613” to commemorate his win total with the franchise. Brown won this title on 6/13.

“I’m pretty good at trying to control what I can control,” Brown said. “I had zero control over who else was interviewing, who was denied permission. I had zero control over that. I just did the best I could in the interview process. I went about my business and waited until it was either going to progress or end. … I was pretty nonchalant about it as time went on. I just let it unfold the way it unfolded.”

Brown speaks fondly of his days with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, a place his family still calls home — and the place where the Knicks captured this title after topping the Spurs in five games. He raves about his years coaching with Steve Kerr in Golden State as well.

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Brown was an assistant on the 2003 Spurs title team, then was with the Warriors for three more title runs. He was the NBA’s coach of the year while with Cleveland in 2009; the Cavaliers wound up firing him. He was the NBA’s coach of the year again while with Sacramento in 2023; the Kings wound up firing him, too.

But in New York, he’s a legend for life now.

“Mike was invaluable to this run,” Knicks forward Josh Hart said. “He understands what it is to be a champion. He understands how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position. We’re so grateful, so thankful to have him at the top. He kept us even so many times. He’s brought the best out of us, as people first. I’m so happy for him. He’s the reason why we’re here. He’s the reason why we’re here, and we’ve got love for him.”

Brown kept the mood light throughout the postseason push, didn’t blink when the Knicks were down 2-1 in Round 1 to Atlanta after a pair of one-point losses, and always seemed to be the calm in the eye of the storm. Social media was blowing up with how Brown wasn’t the right coach for the job when the Knicks trailed the Hawks.

New York went 15-1 from there. And a 53-year wait between titles is now over.

“I am so tired. I mean, I’m gassed,” Brown said. “You know, this stuff is harder than what you think.”

Maybe so, but he makes it look easy.

“My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish. My Christian Dior, Knicks in four!” came when New York fans needed it most. The team had just lost their first playoff game following a 13-game winning streak and was only leading the Spurs 2-1 in the series.

One fan’s rallying cry became a viral chant recreated by over and over again by Knicks’ lovers across the five boroughs and beyond the city. MD Ahnaf Hossain, a 23-year-old, became a mascot for the team when a TikTok of his chant went viral last week.

Countless iterations popped up across the internet, mirroring the rhyming scheme — almost always starting with, “My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish” — and then shifting ever so slightly when it was time for Game 5.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked about the chant on MS NOW the morning after the Knicks clinched the NBA title.

“I haven’t met him, but he is a New Yorker whose words have really stayed with all of us,” Mamdani said.

“Thanks to him, there are a lot of people who have just been running up to me over the last few weeks just shouting, ‘My Mayor’s Muslim!’ I said, ‘It’s true. I am.'”

The mayor, a well-documented longtime Knicks fan, was in attendance at The Garden for Game 3, the team’s only loss in the finals (President Donald Trump was there, too).

Within an hour of the victory late Saturday, Mamdani announced the date of a ticker-tape parade for the New York Knicks and a ceremony to gift the team the Keys to the City. Those celebrations will be held on Thursday.

He grabbed it and lifted it skyward with a yell.

“I want to say something to New York,” Dolan shouted. “Hey New York! I’m sorry it took so long! But here we are, and hopefully it won’t take that long again!”

The New York Knicks are champions of the NBA for the first time since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games for this title. The clincher came Saturday night in a 94-90 victory, the Knicks’ fourth comeback win of the series.

Some will say it’s the first “major” professional sports championship for New York in more than 14 years; that would be true when counting only Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL and the NBA, though it would be wrong to ignore the New York Liberty’s run to the 2024 WNBA title and New York City FC winning the MLS Cup in 2021.

But as far as the teams that have been part of the city’s fabric for generations and generations, yes, this 14-year drought is finally over. The New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012, capping the 2011 season.

The Yankees — the most decorated team in U.S. major pro sports history — haven’t won a World Series since 2009. The Mets haven’t brought a World Series title to New York since 1986. The Rangers last hoisted that trophy in 1994, the Islanders in 1983. The New York Jets haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1969.

None of that matters, at least not right now. The Knicks — who won 13 consecutive games at one point in this playoff run and rallied from 29 points down to win Game 4 of the finals at MSG — are the toast of the town.

“Of course I’ve never seen anything like it, because it’d never happened before,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of the Game 4 comeback in an interview on NBA TV on Saturday. “But it’s been amazing.”

The Amazin’ Knicks, indeed.

A third title, finally

It took them 80 years — the Knicks won the first game in NBA history in 1946, three years before what was then the Basketball Association of America started being known as the National Basketball Association — but the franchise has now become the ninth that can say it has at least three championships.

Boston has 18, the Los Angeles Lakers have 17, Golden State has seven, Chicago has six, San Antonio has five, and Philadelphia, Detroit and Miami all have three.

Welcome to the club, New York.

“I enjoy watching these guys,” Knicks legend Larry Johnson said. “The Garden is back. … It’s back like when we played and made our little run. The city is behind us.”

It’s a franchise that has gone through 24 different coaches and more than 400 players since what was, until now, the most recent championship season. Some of the game’s biggest superstars called Madison Square Garden home and couldn’t end the title drought, names like Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Bernard King and Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks lost a Game 7 in the 1994 finals to Hakeem Olajuwon and Houston, then made a miracle run to the 1999 finals in a shortened season only to lose to San Antonio in five games — the first of what became five championships for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs.

“We didn’t get it done. … I always say the third time is the charm,” former Knicks guard John Starks said.

Starks was right. It took the Knicks 27 years to get back to the finals, had the Spurs again standing in their way, and to fully flip the script, it was New York prevailing in five games.

MSG, a banner is coming

And finally, the world’s most famous arena — which has raised banners for Billy Joel, Elton John and Harry Styles more recently than it had hoisted one for the Knicks — will be adding to the collection swaying from the rafters. If it follows form from the others, the banner will only have the Knicks logo, then 2025-26 World Champions beneath that.

A simple message. Getting to the place where the Knicks could say those words again, that wasn’t so simple.

“There are a couple of franchises that are pretty iconic just because of the history that they have, the location that they’re in, sometimes even the building that they’re in,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown, who won this title in his first season with the club. “New York is definitely one of the few that you could say that to in all three facets.

“Everybody goes through their ups and downs. I don’t really think much about the tough times that they had, because everybody has tough times, including individuals. You just want to try the best you can to be a part of whatever you can to bring joy to the city, to the organization. At the end of the day, the chips are going to fall how they fall. I feel blessed, fortunate, lucky, to be a part of what is going on now.”

It is, to put it mildly, an interesting organization. Dolan — who rarely speaks publicly — isn’t afraid of clashes, even including ones with former Knicks greats like Charles Oakley, who was at road games in this title run but has remained away from MSG for years. Leon Rose, the team’s president, typically doesn’t make himself available to reporters either. There is an absolute mystique around the team and how it operates.

It has not always worked. Over a 25-year stretch that ended with the 2021-22 season — not that long ago — the Knicks had the worst record in the NBA. In the four years since, starting with the acquisition of Jalen Brunson from Dallas, the Knicks have the NBA’s fifth-best record.

And now, Brunson — the finals MVP — is the best player on the best team in the world.

“It means the world to me,” Brunson said.

Start spreadin’ the news …

And this year, as Frank Sinatra said, the Knicks are king of the hill, top of the heap. Some in the fan base grumbled when the Knicks declined to hang an NBA Cup championship banner after beating San Antonio for the in-season tournament title earlier this season. Turns out, the Knicks were just waiting for something better.

So, the 53-year wait is over. It was a very different league, and a very different game, in 1973.

There were 17 teams in the NBA that season, barely half of the 30 that there are now. Teams called places Buffalo, Baltimore, Kansas City-Omaha and Seattle home then; the league has expanded many times since, adding 13 teams in nine different states, plus Canada and the District of Columbia.

The top salary in the league then was about $380,000, or roughly $2.9 million in today’s dollars. There was no 3-point line then, no multi-billion-dollar television deal, no international players.

The Knicks flew home on a United Airlines flight from the 1973 title clincher in Inglewood, California, and officials at Kennedy Airport expected what was then called a “rabid” crowd of fans present to greet the plane. They braced for “hundreds” of people that day.

This celebration might be a little bigger.

“To have the fans that we have in New York City and be able to bring home a championship after all these years is absolutely amazing,” Brown said. “It’s a surreal feeling.”

___

AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in New York contributed.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Of course, Brunson parted with more money than any of those fans.

Brunson is now an NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP in large part because of what he did against the San Antonio Spurs in the finals — though, really, his biggest contribution to this title run likely came in 2024, when he left as much as $113 million on the bargaining table to allow the Knicks the financial flexibility they needed to finish building a championship roster.

It was considered an unprecedented move.

It paid off.

Brunson had 45 points — including 13 straight down the stretch — to lead the Knicks to a 94-90, title-clinching win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, one that sealed a 4-1 win.

“I knew it was achievable,” Brunson said.

It was a storybook finish to a story like none other; not only did Brunson make the Knicks champions, he made his dad one as well. Rick Brunson played for the Knicks, and now is an assistant coach on his kid’s team.

“I have all of his trophies,” Rick Brunson said. “He has not one trophy at his house. I’m going to get his MVP trophy, too.”

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A Big Apple legend for life

Brunson now has a seat at the table of sports kings of New York, alongside the likes of Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, Mark Messier and others. Deliver a championship to the Big Apple and you get celebrated for life. Brunson doesn’t seek attention — in fact, he genuinely seems to dislike it — but such is the risk one takes when he leads a storied franchise to its first title in more than half a century.

There was no doubt Jalen Brunson would win finals MVP. Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn’t understand why he wasn’t among the top vote-getters for the regular-season MVP as well.

“I hope you guys will listen to me: He’s a top-three MVP candidate,” Brown said, holding his grandson on his lap in the championship celebration. “Everybody kind of mentions his name in passing. They don’t do it seriously enough. … He is a fricking 1-A. He is a MVP candidate and I hope tonight you guys recognize what this man is about.

“He is him.”

There are countless reasons why the Knicks have turned their fortunes around over the last four seasons, but the list starts with Brunson. New York had four winning seasons in a 21-year span before Brunson arrived; the Knicks have had four winning seasons in the four years that he’s worn the franchise’s colors. They’ve now won eight playoff series with Brunson in the lineup; they won seven series, total, from 1998 through 2022.

He’s a bona fide superstar as well, with three consecutive All-Star selections and three consecutive seasons in which he’s averaged at least 26 points. The only other players to do that in each of the last three years — be an All-Star and average 26 points in every one — are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

They’ve all been NBA champions, too. So, now, is Brunson.

“He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles, shoots contested shots without being sped up,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said earlier in the finals. “He’s a phenomenal player.”

Another title won in Texas

Texas has been good to Brunson when it comes to titles. Villanova’s 2016 championship was won in Houston, and the 2018 championship came in San Antonio — at the Alamodome, just a few minutes away from the arena that the Spurs call home.

Oddly, Texas wasn’t always that good to Brunson as a pro — which is how he ended up in New York.

Brunson joined the Knicks in 2022 after leaving Dallas, which didn’t offer him a contract anywhere near what the Villanova guard felt he deserved.

And then, two years later, Brunson took far less than he’d earned.

In 2024, Brunson signed a four-year extension with New York that could be worth $156.5 million if he accepts his option for the 2028-29 season. If Brunson waited until 2025 for his extension, he would have been eligible for a five-year, $269 million deal.

Brown said, if he was in that position, he wouldn’t have taken the discount deal.

“He set the bar before he even stepped on the floor,” Brown said.

Brunson will almost certainly recoup some if not all of that money in his next extension, one that could top $300 million — possibly by a lot. But by passing up the much larger guarantee then, he provided the Knicks with the ability to make other moves that are paying off now.

And among the ones that followed his June 2024 decision: The Knicks brought in starters Mikal Bridges (a former Villanova teammate) and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Could all that have happened if Brunson didn’t accept the smaller extension? Maybe, but unlikely.

“I think he’s still underrated in the league, and he keeps proving people wrong, game by game, series by series, playoff appearance by playoff appearance,” said Knicks forward Josh Hart — one of the ‘Nova Knicks,’ the moniker given to the trio of himself, Brunson and Bridges, all NCAA champions at Villanova who have now become NBA champions in New York. “As a friend, as a teammate, it’s funny because you know he’s one of the best players in the league, and you’re happy that he’s starting to get some recognition.”

He’s getting more than some recognition. He’s getting a ring.

“Just thankful that this opportunity presented itself,” Brunson said, “and we were able to get it done.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a ticker-tape parade in the teams’ honor within an hour of their Game 5 victory in Texas. City Hall, he said, will also present the New York Knicks with Keys to the City.

“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” Mamdani said in a statement. “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.”

The parade and key ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 18. The ticker-tape celebration will start at 10:00 AM by Battery Park and travel north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes before concluding at City Hall, according to the Mayor’s office.

Immediately following the parade, Mayor Mamdani will host a championship celebration and Key to the City ceremony on the City Hall Plaza.

City Hall and other municipal buildings will also be illuminated in blue and orange on the same day.

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For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA. Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night.

The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories. The deficit was 16 on Saturday night. Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed.

“I have no words,” Brunson said during the on-court celebration. “It’s everything I ever dreamed of.”

Brunson, fittingly, closed with a flourish. He set a Knicks record for points in a finals game; it had been 38 by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the 1970 series. It now belongs to the left-handed point guard who changed the franchise’s fortunes when he arrived four years ago.

Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — the other two parts of the “Nova Knicks” trio that also includes Brunson, three players who were NCAA champions at Villanova and teamed up in New York to try to do the same — combined to score 27 points. Bridges had 14, Hart 13.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” Brunson said. “I’m in awe. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”

Dylan Harper scored 25 for the Spurs, who got 19 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots from Victor Wembanyama.

The Knicks improved to 4-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them all on the road. It didn’t feel like the road, though — not with thousands of New York faithful having made the trip to Texas to see a moment 53 years in the making.

New York got to the brink of this title by rallying from 29 points down in Game 4 to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left on Wednesday night. It was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and the biggest comeback in any game this season, regular season or playoffs.

By comparison, then, a 16-point rally in this one seemed easy.

The game followed the same script in the opening minutes as all the others in the series, with the Spurs taking a double-digit lead in the first quarter and then frittering most of it away in the second quarter.

The Spurs became the first team in the play-by-play era, which started in the 1996-97 season, to lead five finals games by 10 points or more in first quarters.

The Knicks simply could not make a shot, missing on 16 of their first 18 tries and each of their first 11 two-point attempts. There even was a point in the second quarter when Wembanyama had more blocked shots (five) than the Knicks had made shots (four). San Antonio’s lead was as many as 10 in the first quarter, as many as 16 in the second.

Of course, none of it mattered much. As always, the Knicks came back.

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A 22-9 run in the second quarter got New York within three, before Devin Vassell scored just before the halftime buzzer to give San Antonio a 42-37 edge at the break.

And that capped an opening 24 minutes of either offensive ineptitude or defensive prowess, depending on perspective. The 79 combined points in the first half were the lowest in a finals game since Game 7 of Lakers-Celtics in 2010, and the combined 31.8% field goals shooting by the Knicks and Spurs was the lowest in the first half of a finals game in the play-by-play era.

Brunson won NCAA crowns twice with Villanova — both in Texas, the 2016 one in Houston and the 2018 one in San Antonio, just a few miles away from the arena that the Spurs call home.

A Texas three-step of titles, and this one was surely the sweetest of all.

A post Brunson fired off as an 18‑year‑old on June 13, 2015, “One win away,” has suddenly been pulled out of the X archives and turned into a rallying point as New York inches toward its first NBA Finals appearance in decades.

At the time, the Chicago‑area native was almost certainly referring to the Chicago Blackhawks, who were one victory from clinching the Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They sealed the title days later.

Now, with Brunson at the center of the Knicks’ postseason push, fans are treating the timing like a cosmic wink.

Inside Madison Square Garden, the coincidence gets even louder. Hanging above the court is the number 613, a tribute to legendary coach Red Holzman’s 613 career wins, the most in franchise history and the total he amassed while leading the Knicks to their last championship in 1973.

And on Saturday, June 13, the Knicks (3–1) will take the floor against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center, sitting one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973.

Can a tweet from 11 years ago, posted by No. 11 himself, really be a sign for Knicks fans tonight?

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How Karl-Anthony Towns is remembering his late mom amid the Knicks' NBA Finals run

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As the New York Knicks continue to face off against the San Antonio Spurs, Towns has paid tribute to his late mother on several occasions throughout the NBA Finals games.

In April 2020, Towns announced that his mother had passed away due to complications related to the coronavirus.

At the time, the basketball player was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following the death of Towns’ mother, the NBA team shared the following statement from the family.

“Jackie, as she was affectionately known among family and friends, had been battling the virus for more than a month when she succumbed on April 13th,” the statement said. “Jackie was many things to many people — a wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. The matriarch of the Towns family, she was an incredible source of strength; a fiery, caring, and extremely loving person, who touched everyone she met.”

A month prior to his mother’s death, Towns had revealed that both of his parents had contracted the coronavirus. His father was later sent home and instructed to quarantine there. However his mother was admitted to the hospital and placed on a ventilator.

Below, see the various ways Towns has been honoring his mother at the NBA Finals.

Towns felt his mother’s ‘presence’ at Game 1

During a post-game interview with ESPN, Towns revealed that he felt his mother’s presence during the first game of the NBA Finals.

“I don’t know what it was, but I just felt a calm and a peace that I don’t know, had to be coming from the woman above. So, I felt really confident about today. I felt good,” he said.

Towns went on to say how he felt like he was “seeing her in the stands.”

“It was really fun and it was really comforting because you know, game one of the NBA Finals you’re told how the pressure is going to be and (how) everything is. And I don’t know, it felt like a certain presence was here that was very comforting and very loving,” he said.

Towns said losing his mother helped him prepare for the pressure of his first NBA Finals

During a separate interview with ESPN, Towns was asked how often he has felt his mother’s presence during the NBA Finals games. The basketball player went on to describe how losing his mother has shaped his life perspective.

“If someone hasn’t lost parents, it’s a different feeling. It’s kind of unexplainable. I’m always looking for signs. I pray, I go to sleep and I have a dream with her or just something that resonates with her. And, you know, I always feel her presence. I feel her love. I feel her grace. I feel her patience. I feel her smile,” he said.

Towns said his mother’s presence “comforts” him in challenging moments, like when the whole world is watching you in the NBA Finals.

“I know what it is to have a lot at stake. I know what it is to fail in those moments. And not with a basketball in my hand. These moments you talk about of high pressure that shake humans and shake people in those moments, I’ve seen too much in a different aspect that you know, just it’s basketball. The other things I dealt with is real life,” he said.

Towns is giving it his all in the NBA Finals for his mother

Even though she’s not here physically to cheer him on, Towns knows his mother is watching him play in the NBA Finals and he wants to make her proud.

“I do it for my mother’s country. I do it for everybody in Dominican Republic. I do it for everyone in the city that welcomed my mother when she immigrated over. I do it for all my family in New Jersey that allowed me to be raised and allowed me to love this game of basketball and allowed me to be a kid with my mother and enjoy those times,” he said during an interview with ESPN.

Towns got a tattoo in his mother’s honor

While speaking with ESPN after the second game of the NBA Finals, Towns said losing a parent “strengthens you beyond measure.”

“That’s why I got Philippians 4:13 and the date (of my mother’s death) tattooed on my neck. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” he said.

Towns went on to say he was “strengthened” when he lost his mother and was inspired to get a tattoo of the Bible verse.

“I didn’t know the significance it would have in my life when I became an adult. But what I do know is that I truly can do anything when I walk in faith, when I walk with the angels beside me, I feel anything’s possible. I feel nothing’s impossible,” he said.

Towns often raises his hands up after games in honor of his mother

While speaking with ESPN after the second game of the NBA Finals, Towns reflected on a special moment where he was caught on camera looking to the sky and blowing a kiss to his late mother.

The NBA player said anyone who has lost a parent looks for “signs” that they’re still there with them.

“I’ll take any sign I can get. And I prayed to her strong before that possession (during the game),” he said.

Towns said he felt his mother’s presence, as though she was guiding him during the game.

“I take it as a sign. My mom is here with me. So I appreciate her so much,” he said.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA. Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night.

The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four of those victories. The deficit was 16 on Saturday night. Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed.

“I have no words,” Brunson, the NBA Finals MVP, said during the on-court celebration. “It’s everything I ever dreamed of.”

Follow along below for everything from before, during and after Game 5:

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul slammed Ticketmaster and the San Antonio Spurs for barring fans who live outside the San Antonio area from purchasing tickets to Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

“Knicks fans finally get within one game of a championship and their reward is having their tickets canceled?” Hochul wrote in a post on X. “Thousands of New Yorkers bought tickets, booked flights, and made plans in good faith.”

“Ticketmaster and the Spurs should reverse this decision and let the fans who bought those seats keep them. Until then, on behalf of Knicks fans everywhere, I’m calling foul,” she added.

New York Attorney General Letitia James also called for the restrictions to be lifted.

“My office is demanding the @spurs remove this policy and allow @nyknicks fans and anyone who can buy tickets for tonight’s game to be able to attend,” James said in a post on X. “Let’s go Knicks.”

But Ticketmaster said the policy applies only to new ticket orders and that fans who already bought tickets should still be able to attend.

In a statement on its website, Ticketmaster said sales for the game “will be restricted to customers residing within a 150-mile radius” of San Antonio, home to the Spurs and the host of Game 5 on Saturday night. New orders from outside that radius will be “canceled without notice and refunds issued.”

“If fans are purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster, they can be confident that they’re getting a real, authenticated ticket that will get them into tonight’s game,” the company said.

The Spurs said that the geographical restrictions “introduced during the Playoffs remains in place throughout the NBA Finals,” adding that the policy allows the team to prioritize “local fans across San Antonio, Austin and surrounding communities.”

Madison Square Garden, home to the Knicks, said in a statement that tickets were not being revoked.

“Contrary to prior reporting, we’ve confirmed with Spurs ownership that they will not be revoking any tickets that Knicks fans have to tonight’s game in San Antonio and all ticket holders will be allowed in to Frost Bank Arena,” the arena said in a statement. “We look forward to tonight’s game.”

Representatives for the NBA did not immediately return requests for comment.

Location-based ticket restrictions are not new.

Similar rules were in place when the Knicks played the Pistons in Detroit during the NBA playoffs last year, and the Yankees limited American League wild card ticket sales to residents of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

But the latest restrictions arrive with the stakes at their highest. This year’s Finals have drawn celebrities including Kylie Jenner and Taylor Swift, as well as President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The Knicks currently hold a 3-1 series lead. A win Saturday would deliver New York its first NBA championship in 53 years.

The rest is up to the Knicks.

New York can win its first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night, with the Knicks holding a 3-1 lead going into Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Knicks are 3-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them by an average of 39.3 points — all of them on the road.

“We’ve been preaching all year it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation — for your opponents — increases (and) the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort because even if you bring your best effort, it may not happen, especially on the road.”

New York got to the brink of this title by rallying from 29 points down in Game 4 to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. It was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and the biggest comeback in any game this season, regular season or playoffs.

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The Spurs have led each of the four games entering Saturday by double figures and let three of those games become losses.

“The biggest thing for us is just can’t take our foot off the gas in a sense,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “Can’t get comfortable with a lead. It’s the NBA Finals. Anything could happen, like we just saw. But just at the end of the day, we’ve just got to stay together as a group.”

The referees selected for Saturday’s game were Scott Foster, James Capers and Tyler Ford. Foster and Capers both worked Game 1 and Ford worked Game 2 of the series.

If the Spurs win, Game 6 would be Tuesday in New York.

Tens of thousands of fans have gathered at watch parties across the tri-state to root for their orange and blue. Some of those parties turned raucous. More than 80 people were taken into custody, nearly 30 of them charged, amid utter fan chaos outside Bryant Park and Madison Square Garden within the last week.

The MSG watch party was called off for Game 3 on Monday, given the attendance of President Donald Trump. It was supposed to be back for Game 4 on Wednesday — the city and Knicks announced it, a permit was issued, barricades were set up. Closer to gametime, though, there were still no screens.

After a rift with the city over security measures for Game 4, the Knicks are again holding a watch party outside Madison Square Garden. Up to 3,000 fans can attend, the team said. Advanced registration is required and all fans in attendance will be screened by police. Other watch parties are being held at Radio City Music Hall and Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Registration for both filled up quickly.

Tickets for the Radio City event, sold on the Knicks website for a $10 donation to their Garden of Dreams charity, were going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary. The Garden and Wollman Rink events are free.

On Saturday, Knicks fever collides with the New York City area’s first World Cup game in 32 years. The match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey kicks off about three hours before the Knicks game, but traffic and transit restrictions extend to Manhattan, and soccer fans returning to the city by train will be arriving at Penn Station — right underneath the Garden.

Complicating matters: a 5 Seconds of Summer concert at the Garden that is expected to bring another 15,000 to 20,000 people to the area and prevents a watch party inside the arena and a scorching heatwave that has city officials advising people to stay indoors. On Sunday, the city is hosting another big event, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

With the confluence of events on the pitch, court and stage, the city has declared a Gridlock Alert for Saturday, with severe traffic congestion expected in midtown Manhattan. Street closures and limited access to parts of Penn Station will be in effect for each of the eight World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.

Starting at noon, two streets adjacent to the Garden — 32nd and 33rd — will be closed to vehicle traffic and used as queues for people waiting for trains from Penn Station to the World Cup. They will reopen three hours after the match ends.

The city is also barring truck deliveries from 30th Street to 60th Street from noon to 11 p.m., closing streets around the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey and converting some streets to bus-only corridors, including 42nd Street, which traverses Times Square. Of late, the tourist haven has been co-opted as yet another place for New York fans to cheer.

If the Knicks win Game 5, the next stop for their roving faithful will be a celebratory parade in Lower Manhattan, through a skyscraper-filled stretch of the city known as the Canyon of Heroes.

If not, the Knicks and their fans will be back at the Garden on Tuesday for Game 6.

Of course, that won’t stop orange-and-blue-blooded Knicks fans from teeming into the area near the team’s Manhattan arena to watch on bar TVs and big screens as their team — playing 1,580 miles away in San Antonio — looks to clinch its first title in 53 years.

After a rift with the city over security measures for Game 4, the Knicks are again holding a watch party outside Madison Square Garden. Up to 3,000 fans can attend, the team said. Advanced registration is required and all fans in attendance will be screened by police. Other watch parties are being held at Radio City Music Hall and Wollman Rink in Central Park.

Registration for both filled up quickly.

Tickets for the Radio City event, sold on the Knicks website for a $10 donation to their Garden of Dreams charity, were going for hundreds of dollars on the secondary. The Garden and Wollman Rink events are free.

For Game 4 at the Garden on Wednesday, the Knicks were granted a permit for a watch party for up to 1,000 people, but team owner James Dolan declined to hold one as he lashed out at Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the police department for keeping in place a security perimeter, metal detectors and other restrictions after President Donald Trump‘s visit to Game 3 on Monday.

Those restrictions remain in effect for Game 5.

All postseason, Knicks fans have flocked to the Garden by the thousands, making playoff pilgrimages to a place known as the “Mecca of Basketball” to cheer, commune and revel in a remarkable feat: 14 wins in 15 games since April 23, and a 3-1 lead over the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.

On Saturday, Knicks fever collides with the New York City area’s first World Cup game in 32 years. The match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey kicks off about three hours before the Knicks game, but traffic and transit restrictions extend to Manhattan, and soccer fans returning to the city by train will be arriving at Penn Station — right underneath the Garden.

Complicating matters: a concert at the Garden that is expected to bring another 15,000 to 20,000 people to the area and prevents a watch party inside the arena and a scorching heatwave that has city officials advising people to stay indoors. On Sunday, the city is hosting another big event, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The concert, by the Australian pop band 5 Seconds of Summer, follows the Knicks’ 4.5 seconds of delirium Wednesday night at the Garden — a magical sequence in which OG Anunoby tipped in a Jalen Brunson miss to complete a historic 29-point comeback and put them a game from the third title in team history.

Wild scenes outside the Garden

Outside, it was pandemonium.

Fans in blue Brunson and orange Karl-Anthony Towns jerseys ran through the streets. Subway cars erupted in cheers as fans peeped the winning shot on their cellphones, their feeds interrupted at times by spotty underground reception.

Just beyond the Garden’s police-prescribed security perimeter, crowds swelled to about 10,000 people, the NYPD said. Thousands more were taking in the game and its see-it-to-believe-it ending at watch parties at nearby Bryant Park and Wollman Rink in Central Park.

But as the game progressed, the police department said in a statement, “the crowds became increasingly destructive, and there were many incidents of incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior.”

People fought in the streets and set off fireworks. They climbed scaffolding and traffic lights and smashed the windshields of four police vehicles. Some people tried to physically flip over a taxi or jump on top of moving trucks and other vehicles, police said. One group broke into a tractor trailer, took items from inside and threw them at police officers.

At least 10 officers were hurt in the mayhem, police said. One was hit in the head with a glass bottle.

In all, 56 people were taken into police custody during and after Game 4. Of them, 15 were arrested and 41 were released with criminal court summonses.

Other Knicks-related crimes remain unsolved.

On Wednesday, about two blocks from the Garden, a 17-year-old boy was beaten into a coma by people who had been arguing with him about the Knicks after their Game 4 comeback win, the NYPD said. Later, at the Spurs hotel five blocks from the arena, someone hurled an egg at star Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, but missed.

After the Spurs won Game 3 on Monday, a 39-year-old Spurs fan had his Tim Duncan jersey ripped from his body while walking back to his hotel near Times Square, the NYPD said.

New York declares Gridlock Alert

With the confluence of events on the pitch, court and stage, the city has declared a Gridlock Alert for Saturday, with severe traffic congestion expected in midtown Manhattan. Street closures and limited access to parts of Penn Station will be in effect for each of the eight World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.

Starting at noon, two streets adjacent to the Garden — 32nd and 33rd — will be closed to vehicle traffic and used as queues for people waiting for trains from Penn Station to the World Cup. They will reopen three hours after the match ends.

The city is also barring truck deliveries from 30th Street to 60th Street from noon to 11 p.m., closing streets around the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey and converting some streets to bus-only corridors, including 42nd Street, which traverses Times Square. Of late, the tourist haven has been co-opted as yet another place for New York fans to cheer.

If the Knicks win Game 5, the next stop for their roving faithful will be a celebratory parade in Lower Manhattan, through a skyscraper-filled stretch of the city known as the Canyon of Heroes.

If not, the Knicks and their fans will be back at the Garden on Tuesday for Game 6.

“It’s the one team that bonds us. He’s a Jets fan. I’m a Giants fan. The Knicks bring us together,” Raina, who preferred not to share her last name, tells TODAY.com.

Both New York transplants living in Florida, they would call each other during games when they couldn’t watch them in person.

It just so happens that Raina and David’s wedding falls on June 13, the same day as the NBA finals’ fifth game, where the Knicks could win it all for the first time since 1973 during a faceoff with the San Antonio Spurs. For two Knicks super-fans, this could be “euphoric,” she says — or, it could be a disaster.

A wedding that falls on the same date as the NBA Finals’ Game 5 raises questions of logistics and etiquette, one that other people whose parties coincide with the high-stakes matchup are also contending with.

For Rachel Perlman, while watching the Knicks make a historic and unexpected comeback during Game 4 on June 10, she had one thought: “We have to have an emergency, 12th hour meeting.”

Her son’s New Jersey bar mitzvah would now coincide with the game — and the Knicks fans coming quickly began asking for a plan.

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Rachel and her husband decided to lean into the mania that swept the tri-state area; they will be pitching a “massive screen” at the hotel ballroom where the bar mitzvah will take place. When the party ends at 11, the ballroom will turn into a viewing party with pizza.

Raina, meanwhile, is taking a different approach. Rather than leaning in to the game, she’s hoping the wedding can be just that — a wedding.

Her venue doesn’t have the option to have a TV and, even if there were one, she wouldn’t take it. “I love the Knicks, but I love my husband more,” she says, laughing.

But it might be a challenge. Most of the wedding attendees are flying in from New York, and they’re equally enthusiastic about the outcome. “The second that we knew that there was going to be a game five, I got like 15 text messages,” she says.

Leading up to Game 5, other couples have battled the NBA finals for attention, as evidenced by videos on social media showing guests crowded around phones.

For Knicks fans, there’s been an upside to incorporating the recent games, too — like celebrations on dance floors after wins, father of the bride speeches-turned-chants, themed entrances or slipping “Go Knicks” into vows.

The couple is trying to get ahead of it by communicating with guests directly. “My fiancé has already texted his groomsmen, “Put your phones away during the wedding, nobody pull it out,” she says.

During the event, she’s asking the DJ to make an announcement along the lines of, “We appreciate you being present with us. Stay with us.”

That said, Raina’s realistic: “I know people are going to pull (their phones) out.” After all, she’s anticipating the near-irresistible pull of the game, too.

“I’m the bride. I shouldn’t be focused on the game. But if I see someone, I’m going to ask, ‘What’s the score?’” she says. If she were a guest at her own wedding, she knows what she’d do. “I’d be going to the bathroom and checking the score,” she says.

Rayshad Talukder, meanwhile, is taking a different approach to his June 13 wedding in Chicago. He hasn’t missed a single basketball finals — and he doesn’t plan to now.

“I‘m just going to keep the game up on my phone, keep watching it. She’s learned to love me for who I am. She knows that I love basketball,” Talukder tells TODAY.com.

Unlike Raina, Talukder isn’t a Knicks fan specifically — just more of a basketball fanatic. So his emotions are less pinned to the game. “I just want to see a good game,” he says, adding that his friends also plan to watch.

Talukder did compromise on one regard. “I tried the iPad, and and my fiancée gave me a look like she wants to kill me,” he says, laughing.

Wedding planner Amanda Friedman, CEO of Amanda Paige Events, says that while this particular timing feels pressing, sporting events are a perennial issue at weddings.

Some couples, she says, pivot their plans by embracing the sport and hosting watch parties. Other couples don’t want sports to overshadow their moment, like one whose big day fell during the Chicago Cubs’ historic World Series. “Absolutely not. This is my wedding day, this is my once in a lifetime,” she paraphrases.

Friedman, who is planning a wedding for June 13, says the key is to strike a balance and to choose what feels aligned with the couple.

For a wedding on June 13, she’d advise the DJ to give updates on the score, but only if they’re trending in the direction the couple wants. Or, the game can be mentioned during speeches. If the game is going to be played during cocktail hour, keep the volume off, and save the audio for the dance floor.

Weddings, she says, are a balance between spontaneous moments and planning. A sporting event adds a level of risk and adventure, depending how it goes. In this case, she says a wedding planner could make a quick call.

“If things are going well, it’s just such a fun moment to have at your wedding day. If things are not going well…OK, we just bury that plan,” she says.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Claire Sullivan Saw the Future in 9th Grade and Brought it to Her Wedding 10 Years Later
• How Karl-Anthony Towns Is Remembering His Late Mom Amid the Knicks’ NBA Finals Run
• The World Cup Will Spread Cheer — and Germs. These Infectious Diseases Are a Risk

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The attack occurred late Wednesday night, minutes before midnight, on West 35th Street — just two blocks north of Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks had just beat the San Antonio Spurs in a historic comeback.

A group of people went up to the 17-year-old victim and started arguing with him about the Knicks, according to police. The argument escalated and turned violent, as the group punched and kicked the teen in his head and all over his body, police said.

At some point during the beatdown, the victim suffered a seizure and went into a coma, police said. The suspects ran off immediately after.

The teen was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in critical condition. He was said to be out of his coma on Friday.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

The attack occurred on the same night police took 41 people into custody, as crowds got rowdy following the Knicks’ incredible comeback. Some people were seen climbing on cars, taxis and truck, while others destroyed property.

Ten police officers were injured in the chaos.

But on Saturday?

“We got to watch the Knicks,” he said.

In most nations hosting the World Cup, soccer is a fixation. But with the New York Knicks holding a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals against San Antonio and one win from their first title since 1973, attention is surely going to be split this weekend.

The Knicks can clinch with a victory in Game 5 on Saturday night. Tipoff will come shortly after Brazil and Morocco wrap a World Cup match in New Jersey, and it will directly overlap with a showdown between Scotland and Haiti.

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“I want to watch all the World Cup games, but for us, the Knicks is still a priority,” the 38-year-old Carson said while he and a friend viewed the World Cup opening ceremony at The Football Factory at Legends, a soccer bar near Madison Square Garden. “I’ll probably catch the (soccer) recap after.”

The Knicks have gripped New York, but even some diehard fans already have divided attention. Hours before sitting courtside for the Knicks’ historic Game 4 rally at MSG, film director Spike Lee was clad in green and gold for a visit to Brazil’s training facility in New Jersey on Wednesday.

Brazil plays Morocco in its opener at East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 6 p.m., a match slated to end about 30 minutes before the NBA game starts in Texas. Scotland-Haiti in Massachusetts starts at 9 p.m.

The Football Factory has 20 screens, enough to satisfy all fandoms.

“I hope they put it to bed Saturday night, so we can just say, well done, Knicks. Have your parade, and that’s it. Now we can concentrate on the soccer,” said Jack Keane, the Irishman who owns The Football Factory.

Keane’s bar hosts supporters groups from Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leeds and AC Milan. He estimated more than 2,000 people come through his bar on Wednesday night, when the Knicks won Game 4.

“The Knicks crowd was the same as the Champions League final crowd,” he said.

Keane’s bar was charging a $20 cover, with one drink included, for the Mexico-South Africa opener.

A 10-minute walk south and east, fans also were lined up to enter Smithfield Hall, which hosts the supporters clubs of Manchester United, West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Roma and Marseille.

“Usually for American sports, because they’re longer, people don’t like to stand,” said Kieron Slattery, an Irishman who is Smithfield’s co-owner. “For the Knicks right now, they’re standing. It’s like a soccer game atmosphere.”

Most of the fans watching Thursday were New Yorkers, many of them originally from elsewhere.

Ryan Cole, a 44-year-old from Britain’s Southampton who has lived in New York for a dozen years, wore an England jersey and hopes to come up with a ticket for The Three Lions’ group-stage game against Panama on June 27. His grandfather, William Cole, was an English League linesman — he has a program with the grandpa’s name from a Manchester-Chelsea match in 1952.

“You just see a wave of jerseys everywhere, which is amazing,” he said of the soccer kits and Knicks gear. “It’s just amazing to be in New York all the time, but now in particular with the Knicks, with the World Cup, with summer, couldn’t be happier.”

One of his friends, 46-year-old Joel Ramirez, is a New York transplant from Dallas with Mexican parents. During the 2022 World Cup, he watched games at different ethnic restaurants that had ties to a team involved in the match, such as Brooklyn’s Sunset Park for Mexico. He thinks the soccer supporters will have greater numbers in the bars Saturday than Knicks fans.

“There’s going to be pound for pound a lot more football fans in the city,” he said. “I’ll be watching both.”

New York City soccer bars open early on weekends for fans to watch lunchtime matches in England and Europe. The World Cup is different.

“When you look at the Premier League, it’s a niche market, still. There’s people who watch it, people who don’t,” Keane said. “The World Cup is the big one. It’s the big party. Everyone’s got a shirt in the closet. Everyone’s going to claim either their own identity or a parent or a grandparent, get on the bandwagon.”

Game 1, Knicks led by four with 58 seconds to go. Game 2, Knicks won by one when Victor Wembanyama’s game-winning try just misses. Game 3, Spurs won by four. Game 4, Knicks won by one again after OG Anunoby got a miracle tip-in.

There hasn’t been a finals like this, with a margin of four points or less in the final minute of each of the first four games, since 1973. New York won that series. The Knicks haven’t been champions since.

That could change Saturday. New York — leading the series 3-1 — can close out the Spurs in San Antonio when the finals resume with Game 5.

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“You have to be present,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Friday. “You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play.”

The series could easily be tied right now, after San Antonio wasted a 29-point lead in Game 4 in what became the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.

The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter on Wednesday night and got outscored 55-25 the rest of the way, missing 29 of their final 35 shots and losing on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining. Taylor Swift was among the many who celebrated long after the final horn, and now the Spurs have to find a way to somehow regroup from absolute agony.

“There’s conviction in strength and confidence,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “That’s what it is. There’s no trick. There’s no avoiding what’s happened. There’s no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There’s no avoiding we’re down 3-1. There’s not avoiding ways that we could be better. There’s nobody that’s going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other.”

Entering Game 4, teams with leads of 29 or more points in a game were:

— 249-0 this season.

— 288-2 over the last 30 postseasons.

— 4,088-13 over the last 30 seasons, counting regular season and playoff games.

That means the Spurs — who have had double-digit leads in all four games — had about a 99.7% chance of winning Game 4, tying the series and coming home with all the momentum. They’re on the brink of elimination instead.

“We still have that belief that we have a chance to win,” said Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, who has heard tons of criticism since Wednesday for his decision to try a layup instead of running down the clock when he had the ball and San Antonio leading by one in the final moments. “But we’re taking this one game at a time. We’re not looking at it as we need to win three games. We need to win tomorrow and then we give ourselves a chance to play another game.”

It will not be easy. When the Knicks have had a closeout opportunity this season, they’ve left no doubt.

New York is 3-0 in closeout games in these playoffs, winning them by the almost comical average of 39.3 points per game. The Knicks led by 61 points before winning 140-89 to close out Atlanta in Round 1, led by 44 points before winning 144-114 to close out Philadelphia in Round 2, then led by 45 points before winning 130-93 to close out Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

All that happened on the road, too. And thousands of Knicks fans are expected in San Antonio on Saturday night, all ready to see New York end that long title drought.

“One possession at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. “You’re thinking about the now, how you can be better the next possession, how can you turn the page, positive or negative. Regardless of what’s going on, our mindset and approach has to stay the same. I think we’ve done a very good job of that. It’s something that has grown over the season. It’s really important, especially obviously now.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Tens of thousands of fans have gathered at watch parties across the tri-state to root for their orange and blue. Some of those parties turned raucous. More than 80 people were taken into custody, nearly 30 of them charged, amid utter fan chaos outside Bryant Park and Madison Square Garden within the last week.

The MSG watch party was called off for Game 3 on Monday, given the attendance of President Donald Trump. It was supposed to be back for Game 4 on Wednesday — the city and Knicks announced it, a permit was issued, barricades were set up. Closer to gametime, though, there were still no screens.

Knicks owner James Dolan abruptly called the party off, blaming Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Hall for trying to curtail the celebratory atmosphere with a heavy dose of security. Mamdani and the NYPD say the secure zone is necessary for public safety, especially given the rowdiness that erupted at Bryant Park last week.

No-pedestrian and no-vehicle zones that were supposed to be in place just for Trump’s visit ended up staying part of the plan, meaning no fans at all could even get within a few blocks of Madison Square Garden.

The city approved a ticketed event for 999 people, the maximum amount it says MSG requested. Dolan argued that wasn’t enough, and that it would shut out tens of thousands of fans eager to be part of the festivities.

A statement from MSG late Thursday said they declined to use the permit granted by the city “due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed into the area and they would need to be ticketed, leaving the tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the Knicks out in the cold. We did not think it was fair to just allow a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everybody else was being shut out.”

Mamdani has said MSG didn’t apply for a bigger permit.

This Saturday brings another complication, with a concert happening at MSG. 5 Seconds of Summer is performing its “EVERYONE’S A STAR!” World Tour with special guest The Band Camino.

The Wollman Rink at Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl are also hosting free official watch parties. There was no update on the potential for an MSG one as of mid-afternoon Friday.

A video shared online showed at least one egg tossed in the direction of the San Antonio Spurs superstar as he entered his hotel, flanked by security, following the team’s Game 4 loss to the Knicks.

It was not clear who threw the egg. The video showed taunting fans swarming the hotel, a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.

A few seconds after the egg cracks on a street sign, Wembanyama turns around and confronts a person standing near the hotel’s entrance before continuing inside.

The Spurs did not immediately respond to a request seeking clarity on whether the object struck Wembanyama.

The confrontation followed a historic collapse by the Spurs, who now find themselves on the brink of elimination after blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks. Wembanyama missed two key free throws in the game’s final minutes.

The Knicks victory prompted scenes of bedlam and jubilation across New York City, as ecstatic fans packed the streets, set off fireworks, scaled lampposts and at times clashed with police.

According to the NYPD, 56 people were taken into custody for charges that ranged from assault to disorderly conduct.

“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night both during and after the game,” the police department said in a statement.

An NYPD spokesperson said they had nothing on file about the egg incident.

The 107-106 victory puts the Knicks just one win away from their first NBA Championship in 53 years. Even non-basketball fans are feeding off the city’s energy.

To New Yorkers’ dismay, the official watch party outside Madison Square Garden was canceled hours before entry was supposed to open Wednesday night. It was the casualty of a very public spat over security between Knicks owner James Dolan and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The NYPD heightened security outside the arena — to the level seen when President Donald Trump attended Game 3 earlier this week — after a chaotic Game 3 party outside of Bryant Park.

Dolan accused the city of trying to ruin fans’ celebrations by locking down the area. Mamdani, along with the NYPD commissioner, said safety was their top priority.

Fans gathered as close as they could get to Madison Square Garden anyway, jumping on moving trucks and other vehicles while people were inside them, and at one point trying to flip over a taxi, the NYPD said.

The NYPD said in a statement that the destructiveness worsened as the game progressed.

People were igniting rounds of fireworks in the middle of large crowds, engaging in violent brawls, throwing glass bottles, and climbing on top of traffic lights and light poles in the heart of Midtown.

Crowds allegedly refused many verbal commands to disperse, the NYPD said.

Ultimately, 61 people were taken into custody, and 19 of them were arrested on charges ranging from assault on a police officer to criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

Ten NYPD officers were hurt, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, including one who was hit in the head with a glass bottle. The department provided no other description of their injuries.

“This is an exciting time for the Knicks and for fans across New York City. The NYPD wants New Yorkers to be able to enjoy these celebrations, but our primary responsibility is to ensure that everyone can do so safely,” the NYPD said in a statement Thursday. “Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night, both during and after the game. This demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased our presence in and around Madison Square Garden.”

The mayhem came two days after chaos overtook the area outside the Knicks watch party at Bryant Park. Fans were brawling in the streets; they were jumping on police cars and hanging from scaffolding.

Roughly 7,000 people amassed in that chaos, the NYPD said.

A total of 21 people were taken into custody in that incident, the NYPD said. Eight of them were arrested and charged, while 13 were released with criminal court summonses. Five cops were injured in that case.

The police union said none of the officers were seriously hurt, suffering some cuts as well as pain and swelling.

During the conference finals in May, the NYPD announced it would not support watch parties outside the arena, citing “very rough” crowds as a public safety threat. But that decision — which ultimately rests with the mayor’s office — was later reversed after the Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

And make no mistake: Those 4 1/2 seconds will never be forgotten by the Knicks. Or by the San Antonio Spurs.

The situation: Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Knicks down by one in a game where they trailed by as many as 29 points. They call timeout with 5.7 seconds left, just as Jose Alvarado nearly committed a backcourt violation that would have cost the Knicks the basketball.

Here’s how it happened.

5.7 seconds left … the play begins

The timeout comes and New York’s Josh Hart is distraught. He blamed himself for missing an assignment at the other end, which allowed San Antonio’s Stephon Castle to hit two free throws that put his team up 106-105.

“I’m sitting there just hoping my guys make a play,” Hart said.

OG Anunoby inbounds the ball for the Knicks. The Spurs elect to not have a defender impede his vision, using all five of their players to guard the four who were moving about for New York. Jalen Brunson shakes free of a couple of defenders, including the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, and catches the inbounds pass near midcourt.

4.3 seconds left … Brunson shoots

Brunson takes one dribble and lets a shot fly from about 31 feet, over Wembanyama’s outstretched left arm. The shot, in the air for about 1.2 seconds, misses and hits the rim. It’s short, and the ball bounces off the iron into the air.

Anunoby — with nobody in his path — sprints from the out-of-bounds spot into the lane, just in case.

“I just went and crashed,” Anunoby said. “Tried to get a tip-dunk or something. The ball went over my head, so I couldn’t really dunk it. So, I tried to tip it in softly.”

With 2.5 seconds left, Anunoby leaps. The Spurs have a few Knicks boxed out, including Karl-Anthony Towns. But Anunoby is unnoticed and gets in front of the Spurs’ Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell.

“I was contesting the first shot,” Wembanyama said. “Turned around and saw him up there. That’s all I saw.”

2.0 seconds left … Anunoby tips the ball

Anunoby throws his right arm into the air as he leaps, just out of the reach of the airborne Vassell. He gets his thumb and a couple of fingers on the ball, hoping to knock it back toward the rim — which he does.

“Right hand from God,” Towns called it.

Anunoby falls to the floor. The ball gets over the front of the rim. Brunson’s fist goes into the air. The Garden waits.

1.2 seconds left … ‘Bedlam here at The Garden!’

Announcer Mike Breen thought Brunson’s 3-point shot would be good. In the end, Breen yelled “Bedlam here at the Garden! They can’t believe it!” as Anunoby’s shot went through the net.

Hart — who also missed a go-ahead layup in the final moments — will never be able to thank him enough.

“I’ve got a special shoutout for OG, man,” Hart said. “He saved me, at least for this game, a lifetime of regret.”

Had the rebound of Brunson’s miss bounced in a different direction, Anunoby wouldn’t have gotten there.

“Bounced off the rim the right way,” Harper said. “He tipped it in the right way. It went in. I could play, ‘Wish I could have did this, wish I could have did that.’ But at the end of the day, he tipped the ball, and it went in.”

The one-point lead matched the Knicks’ biggest all night.

It was all they needed.

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I’m not you guys. You guys know better than me. But it was just unbelievable.”

___

Reynolds reported from Miami.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

And then the New York Knicks pulled off the best comeback that the league’s title round has ever seen.

Down 29, the Knicks rallied to beat the Spurs 107-106 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. It was the biggest comeback in finals history … and a whole lot of other things happened in Game 4 as well, some that swung the pendulum completely San Antonio’s way and some that wound up letting New York do its share of rewriting the NBA history book as well.

A look inside the numbers:

A 29-point comeback

Above all else, there was this: The biggest comeback in the finals.

San Antonio 81, New York 52 was the score with 9:40 left in the third quarter. No team had ever rallied from 24 points down in a finals game and won; the Knicks outscored the Spurs 55-25 over the final 21 1/2 minutes to pull this off.

Boston trailed the Los Angeles Lakers by 24 points in Game 4 of the 2008 finals, before winning 97-91 — another 30-point swing, just like what the Knicks pulled off on Wednesday.

There even were records within the record, such as:

— The Knicks were down 27 at the half. The biggest halftime deficit successfully overcome in a finals game was 21 points (41-20) by the Baltimore Bullets over the Philadelphia Warriors on April 13, 1948.

— The Knicks were down 15 going into the fourth, tying the biggest end-of-three-quarters deficit ever overcome in a finals game. Chicago trailed Portland 79-64 on June 14, 1992.

Only a 1-point lead

The Knicks never led by more than one point and won — the first time any team has done that this season.

The last time it happened, in any game, regular season or playoffs? Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, when Indiana beat Oklahoma City 111-110.

Down 20 (or more), again

There had been three comebacks from 20-point fourth-quarter deficits in the last 30 years of playoff basketball … until three weeks ago, that is.

The Knicks were down by 22 in the fourth and beat Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. They were down by 20 in Game 4 against the Spurs and won again.

So, the Knicks in that situation in these playoffs: 2-0.

The rest of the NBA in that situation in the last 30 postseasons: 3-751.

2 with 33

Jalen Brunson scored 36 points and OG Anunoby had 33 for the Knicks. Anunoby had the tip-in that ended up being the winning basket for the Knicks, but two teammates having that many points in a finals game also put that duo in title-series lore.

They became the 10th set of teammates with at least 33 points apiece in a finals game.

Elgin Baylor and Jerry West did it six times for the Lakers from 1962 through 1966. Kyrie Irving and LeBron James did it twice for Cleveland against Golden State, once in 2016 and again in 2017.

The other duos to do it: Philadelphia’s Hal Green and Chet Walker (1967); the Lakers’ West and Wilt Chamberlain (1970); the Lakers’ Magic Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes (1980); the Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy (1985); Portland’s Clyde Drexler and Jerome Kersey (1990); the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal (2002); and Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant (2017).

27-point halftime lead

San Antonio led 76-49 at the half, the 27-point margin tying the third-largest in finals history.

(Technically, that was the biggest halftime lead on the road, but more on that in a moment.)

Boston led the Los Angeles Lakers by 30 (79-49) at the half of Game 1 of the 1985 finals. The Lakers led Miami by 28 (64-36) at the half of Game 6 of the 2020 finals in the bubble; the Heat was the designated “home” team for that game, but it was played in the neutral site of Walt Disney World.

The Knicks also had a 27-point lead at the half of a finals game in 1970; they led the Lakers 69-42 at the break of Game 7 that year.

76 points at the half

San Antonio had 76 points at halftime, the most by a road team in an NBA Finals game and tied for the third-most by any team in the title series.

The other first-half scoring outputs that reached that number: Cleveland scored 86 against Golden State in Game 4 of the 2017 finals; Boston scored 79 against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the 1985 finals; and the Celtics also scored 76 against the St. Louis Hawks in Game 1 of the 1960 finals.

The most by a road team in the first half of a finals game, before Wednesday, was a 73-point first half by the Lakers over the Celtics in Game 2 of the 1962 finals.

14 3s in a half

San Antonio made 14 3-pointers in the first half, an NBA Finals record for any half. The previous record was 13 by Cleveland in the first half against Golden State on June 9, 2017.

The Spurs also made eight 3s in the second quarter, one shy of the NBA Finals record for most in a quarter. Golden State made nine in the first quarter against Cleveland on June 7, 2017 and Boston made nine in the fourth quarter against the Warriors on June 2, 2022.

The other teams with eight in a quarter: Phoenix against Milwaukee in the 2021 finals and Dallas against Boston in the 2024 finals.

1:02

Only 62 seconds into the game, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson — or more specifically, whoever makes the call in the second row of the bench area and relays that information — wanted a timeout called to review a foul that was called on San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama.

Great move by the review caller. Turns out, New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns was pinning Wembanyama’s arm, the call got overturned, Towns went to the bench with his second foul of the game and that helped set the tone for the Spurs’ huge opening half.

The New York Knicks pulled off the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, overcoming a 29-point deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 Wednesday.

Just like the entire series, San Antonio started the game hot and set the tone early. The Spurs led 41-22 at the end of the first quarter and eventually led by 29 thanks to scorching shooting throughout the first half.

But they couldn’t sustain that for the second half, shockingly scoring just 14 and 16 in the final two quarters, respectively.

It came down to the key moments late in the fourth when New York needed buckets and San Antonio didn’t really know who to turn to. That’s where some inexperience emerged.

Jalen Brunson hit a big three right in front of Victor Wembanyama, while Jose Alvarado of all Knicks made some plays, too. Despite a colossal layup miss by Josh Hart, OG Anunoby made up for it with the tip-in make of his life in the final moments.

San Antonio had just 1.2 seconds to get off a shot, still ample time in today’s league. But the inbounds pass to Stephon Castle fell short and he couldn’t get off a look in time.

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 36 points, shooting more efficiently with a 12-25 clip and adding seven assists. Anunoby’s underrated playoffs continued further with 33 points on 10 of 15 shooting, including the most important bucket of the game.

Karl-Anthony Towns was the only other Knick to eclipse double-figures, scoring 13. He struggled for playing time in the first half due to foul trouble, but he made a tough and timely triple in the fourth.

San Antonio had five double-digit scorers, with Wembanyama’s 24 leading the way. But he only went 9-for-25 from the field, including two straight missed free throws in the closing stretch. Dylan Harper led all bench scorers with 21 points, while De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell each added 18. But when it mattered most, no Spur could get on the ball and calm things down.

It was the opposite case for the Knicks, who could at least turn to Brunson — and sometimes Alvarado — to dribble out the clock until the right moment showed up.

Despite San Antonio’s hot start, the Knicks ended up with a better 3-point rate (15-for-32/47% to 17-for-43/40%). A true tale of two halves summarized with one statistic.

The Knicks’ 53-year wait for a championship can end as early as Saturday evening. The series heads back to San Antonio, where the Spurs lost the opening two games.

How the Spurs respond to this setback will tell all. Their backs are fully against the wall, and it happened in the worst manner possible.

For the Knicks, it’s exactly where they’d hoped to be.

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They won’t be outside on Wednesday.

After a day of finger-pointing by CEO James Dolan and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, it was announced that there would be no watch party outside of the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”

So how did it come to be that Knicks fans would not be able congregate together to watch the game outside?

What the plan was supposed to be

Going into Monday, the city and the NYPD had restricted spontaneous gatherings outside the famed arena. Mamdani and his police department cited a range of reasons for the ban, including President Donald Trump’s attendance at Monday’s game.

Ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday, the NYPD announced it would again prevent fans from gathering around MSG, unless they were going to the game or had “business specific to that area.”

But this time, the city said it had approved a permit to allow 1,000 fans access to a watch party outside the Garden — a scaled-down version of previous viewing parties, which the NYPD had sought to have canceled for rowdiness, before later reversing course.

Otherwise, fans would need an “authorized reason” to be inside a security perimeter that stretches for several blocks around the arena. While bars and restaurants would stay open, they were subject to “strict capacity limits,” police said.

What happened instead

Hours before the game on Wednesday, Knicks owner James Dolan indicated the watch party wouldn’t go forward, saying in an interview with WFAN just before 5 p.m. that they were not putting up screens for the watch party.

“This is about celebrating the Knicks at MSG, the mecca of basketball. This is what the mayor’s office and the commissioner’s office is trying to kill. They don’t want the celebration,” Dolan said on WFAN’s The Craig Carton Show.

Police outside MSG also confirmed to Telemundo 47 that there would be no watch party at the location. However, streets would still be closed.

A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden said the blame rests with the city, saying that the event at Plaza33 “was not canceled” — because they had never agreed to the terms and conditions put forth by the city.

“We simply said we are not putting up the screens,” the spokesperson said.

A statement released by the Madison Square Garden Co. also accused Mamdani of transforming the streets around the arena into a “police state” in order to “freeze out fans from celebrating.”

A city official shared with NBC New York a copy of the permit for the watch party, which allowed for a gathering of up to 1,000 people.

“MSG requested a permit for a watch party for 500-999 fans. We approved that permit for 999 fans. Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party,” Mamdani said in a post on X.

A late statement from MSG said they declined to use the permit granted by the city “due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed into the area and they would need to be ticketed, leaving the tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the Knicks out in the cold. We did not think it was fair to just allow a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everybody else was being shut out.”

Local businesses said restrictions hurt them

The measures put in place enraged nearby restaurants and bars, as well as civil liberties groups.

“It’s ruining my business,” said Angela Reilly, the owner of Molly Wee, an Irish pub near the arena. “I haven’t seen anything like this level of security in 46 years.”

Molly Biklen, the legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, agreed the tactics seemed heavy-handed. “Crowd control for major events is reasonable, but historic moments are not carte blanche for overpolicing or excessive NYPD responses,” Biklen said.

Crowd control vs. over-policing

The conflict has also focused attention once again on the shaky alliance between the mayor and his police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. To some, the security restrictions appeared at odds with Mamdani’s broader agenda, which included improving access to public spaces and limiting how the NYPD polices major events.

“The NYPD is historically extremely risk-averse to disorderly behavior by crowds, whether they be celebratory or protesting,” said Jeffrey Fagan, a law professor at Columbia University who studies policing. “The mayor now faces a difficult calculus between the strong emotions of Knicks fans and the political risks if crowd control isn’t airtight.”

In recent days, members of Mamdani’s administration have pressed Tisch to allow some version of the watch parties to go forward outside Madison Square Garden, according to two people familiar with the meetings, who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the meetings.

Tisch, meanwhile, has advocated for the security perimeter, citing the need to control against crowds that have at times become violent and unruly. Some recent fan gatherings in Manhattan have led to dozens of arrests and several injuries to police officers.

Following the Knicks′ loss Monday, at least 21 people were taken into custody. The NYPD also said it is currently searching for members of a group that ripped a San Antonio Spurs jersey off a man while punching and kicking him.

Shaun Geddes, a Knicks fan who runs a popular podcast about the team, said he had celebrated multiple series-clinching victories outside the arena and found the vast majority of fans were respectful.

“Then there’s a small group of people out there cosplaying as Knicks fans and doing performative things to go viral on TikTok,” Geddes added. “But being passionate as a Knicks fan doesn’t mean assaulting anyone.”

In response to criticism about the closure, city officials have noted there isn’t a recent precedent for the position in which they now find themselves. The Knicks have not been to an NBA Finals since 1999. Most of the city’s other major sports teams play in the less-crowded outer boroughs or in New Jersey.

But when the New York Rangers — who also play in the Garden— last won the Stanley Cup, in 1994, the NYPD took another approach to managing elated fans.

Ahead of the game, police announced they would clear the area around the arena of potential projectiles, like metal trash cans or debris, but would allow fans to move freely.

“We expect the fans to be extremely vocal,” Allen Hoehl, an NYPD chief at the time, said at a 1994 news conference. “If they want to go from here to there, we’ll escort them in any direction.”

Secure zone still in place

The security perimeter stretches from 29th Street to 35th Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues. The area will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Eighth Avenue will remain open to vehicles, but it could be closed off if police deem it necessary.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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OG Anunoby tipped in the miss of Jalen Brunson’s long 3-point attempt with 1.2 seconds remaining to complete the rally, giving the Knicks a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals and three chances to win the title.

It looked impossible early, when the Spurs rolled to a 27-point halftime lead. But Brunson helped bring the Knicks back with 36 points and Anunoby finished with 33, swooping in as Brunson’s shot bounced softly off the front of the rim and stretching high with his right hand to tap it in.

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