It was a New York love affair.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Glistening in the sun from about 1,000 feet away, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy dazzled attendees, arriving in New York after a 53-year title drought.
The Knicks may have been on the court, but it was the city that won the championship.A family in matching Jalen Brunson jerseys.
Three generations of Knicks fans.Honoring deceased loved ones.
This championship meant a lot to New Yorkers, and they showed out in droves Thursday to prove it.Fans crowd Fulton Street in celebration of Knicks’ NBA championship.Anisha Chopra / NBC NewsVincent Marshall, of Staten Island, grew up watching Patrick Ewing with his older brother, James.
He came in part to honor his brother, a firefighter, who died before he could see the Knicks win a championship.“He saw the Giants; he saw the Yankees,” Marshall, 43, told NBC News.
“For him not to see this — the closest he got was ’99 — for him to be looking down on everybody right now, it’s really truly a special moment.”Police adjust barricades at a security checkpoint at Nassau Street and Maiden Lane.Anisha Chopra / NBC NewsIt took a lot of dedication to witness the festivities.For a parade scheduled to start at 10 a.m., the pens to watch alongside Broadway were full by 7:30 a.m.
Even estimates from city officials to arrive at least two hours early were not enough.In the hours before the parade, people anxiously awaited the arrival of their champions.
Each element to get to the parade was bubbling up with Knicks energy.Trains were slowly filling up with fans, many of whom skipped work, adjusted their schedules or were fortunate to have the day off.
For some, that meant hopping on a plane to get here.Nasheena Cates, a software engineer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, flew in for the parade.
Born and raised in Harlem, she booked her tickets Monday, taking off from work with ...