BY: Liliana Rocio Suarez Salcedo, Senior Editor.  Broadway & City Hall New York City June 18th 2026

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

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

“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment. Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks.

And this team fulfilled that hope with grit, resilience and heart — just like the five boroughs itself,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“New Yorkers have cheered for our team from packed living rooms in the Bronx to watch parties in Brooklyn, from bars in Queens to Staten Island to Manhattan, and Madison Square Garden itself. Now it’s time for our city to celebrate together. Bing bong.

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

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

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

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, and he instead honored the Knicks at a 1970 reception at the mayoral mansion and a jampacked 1973 ceremony outside City Hall.

The 2025-26 Knicks will receive their first-ever ticker-tape parade this morning, starting at 10 a.m., heading north along Broadway from Battery Place to City Hall for a championship celebration.

Millions of New Yorkers are expected to participate, and they apparently were very eager to be a part of it.

In fact, the NYPD announced just after 7:30 a.m. Thursday that every viewing pen for the parade was full, and no one else is being permitted entry.

All those currently inside the viewing areas will not be allowed back in if they leave for whatever reason before the parade’s conclusion.

All member of the 2025-26 Knicks, and some of their famous fans, were   part of the festivities throughout Thursday morning and early afternoon.

The Knicks contingent undoubtedly led by head coach Mike Brown and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, who helped deliver the city its first NBA championship in more than 53 years.

After being showered with confetti and paper along the Canyon of Heroes, all of the Knicks were formally celebrated at City Hall, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani presenting the team with Keys to the City.

An estimated 2 million fans flooded the Canyon of Heroes. Several Hollywood A-listers and native New Yorkers rode on the team floats and joined the historic celebration.

Some of the celebrities in attendance and on the floats included:  Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Mariska Hargitay, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Patrick Ewing , Fat Joe, Edie Falco, Jon Stewart, Martha Stewart, John Legend, Carmelo Anthony (former Knicks star), and Alicia Keys (who performed “Empire State of Mind”).

The NYPD said 10 people were arrested and three were slapped with summonses on charges that included assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani teased that the ticker tape parade could be the biggest in Big Apple history days before, saying 1 million could attend — although turnout was at least double that.

Being a lifelong Knicks fan, it was a great pleasure and honor for me to attend and celebrate, this historic day with the Knicks winning there 3^rd NBA Title, alongside 2 million fans in attendance and millions more.

Meeting some of the greatest knicks in my time as a journalist, included: Captain Willis reed, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony, John Starks, Bernard King and so many more.

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