New York City erupted in celebration Thursday morning as the New York Knicks held their first NBA championship ticker-tape parade in over 50 years. Thousands of fans lined Broadway in lower Manhattan to honor the team's victory, capping off a historic season.

The parade marked the Knicks' first NBA title since 1973, a drought that had spanned generations of fans. The event kicked off near a downtown park at 10 a.m. ET and proceeded north to City Hall, drawing immense crowds eager to celebrate the long-awaited championship.

Knicks point guard Jose Alvarado, a hometown native, expressed his deep connection to the celebration. He shared that winning with the team was "amazing," but celebrating in his home city held a "special" significance, reflecting a lifelong dream shared with his family and fellow fans.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani anticipated the parade could be one of the largest in the city's history, highlighting the "immense excitement" felt across the city and region. At the end of the procession, the mayor was scheduled to present the team, including stars Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, with keys to the city.

These keys, designed by Azra Khafan and manufactured by Aneesh Bhoothaphy with typography by Tobias Frere-Jones, represent a significant gesture, being the first such awards given by Mamdani's administration, which is only six months old. The ceremony at City Hall was also slated to feature a performance by Alicia Keys singing "Empire State of Mind."

For players like Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in nearby New Jersey, the victory and subsequent celebration fulfilled childhood aspirations. He described the moment as something fans "always dream of as a kid, especially growing up in the area."

This ticker-tape parade is a novel experience for the Knicks franchise, as previous championship teams in 1970 and 1973 opted for different forms of celebration rather than the iconic Broadway tradition. The city's last major ticker-tape parade was for the New York Liberty following their WNBA championship win in 2024.

Viewing areas along the parade route were reportedly full before 8 a.m. ET, with the New York Police Department implementing crowd control measures to manage the enthusiastic turnout and reminding attendees that re-entry into designated pens would not be permitted after leaving.