The Knicks won a historic championship after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night, sparking wild scenes in New York.
The Knicks secured their first title in 53 years with a 94-90 win. Jubilant fans spilled into the streets across the five boroughs following the win, some climbing on top of buses and setting off fireworks and flares in celebration.
Star guard Jalen Brunson delivered the win with a 45-point outburst in Texas as “Let’s go Knicks” chants cascaded from the stands in San Antonio.
Brunson fought back tears after the game as he tried to explain what the win meant to the city.
“I have no words,” he told ABC. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m in awe, I don’t know.
“Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it.”
Game 5 came on the heels of the Knicks staging the biggest ever comeback in NBA Finals history with their win in Game 4, and Donald Trump’s visit to MSG for their loss in Game 3.
The Knicks became the eighth different champion in the NBA over the last eight years.
Thousands of Knicks fans were on hand in San Antonio as the Knicks and owner Jim Dolan were presented with the championship trophy.
“Hey, New York, I’m sorry it took so long, but here we are and hopefully it won’t take that long again,” said Dolan.
Brunson was also named the Finals MVP to a massive ovation from the remaining crowd and his teammates and received a hug from his dad, Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson.
“This is everything I dreamed of, this is why I came to New York,” Jalen Brunson said.
Head Coach Mike Brown then led the team in a chorus of “Who Let the Dogs Out” as he thanked the “unbelievable” Knicks fans at home in New York.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani quickly announced on X that the city would be celebrating the victory with a ticker-tape parade next week.
“Parade. Thursday. Manhattan,” he wrote after labelling it “History.”
“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” Mamdani added 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.
“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.”
Parade logistics will be released on Sunday. City Hall and municipal buildings across New York will be illuminated in blue and orange on Thursday.
Meanwhile, New York lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also celebrated the win on X, writing: “DREAMS COME TRUE.”
