New York’s first ticker-tape parade was held for the dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886.
Teddy Roosevelt and Nelson Mandela were similarly honored, as were Queen Elizabeth II and Pope John Paul II, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, soldiers, astronauts and Olympians, the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Liberty, Gotham FC and so many more.
Finally, after 210 official ticker-tape parades, the Knicks get their turn to enter the Canyon of Heroes.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of one of the most beloved teams in New York City history will be honored with the franchise’s first-ever parade Thursday morning (10 a.m.) in lower Manhattan, celebrating the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
The parade will begin at Battery Park and travel up Broadway to City Hall, where the Knicks will be presented with a ceremonial key to the city.
The 1970 title team was honored at Gracie Mansion. The 1973 champs were joined by roughly 2,000 fans at a celebration at City Hall. But millions are expected to partake in this long-awaited event that will rank among the largest celebrations in the city’s history, featuring (temporary) blue and orange signs declaring “Champions Way,” 2,500 pounds of confetti and the largest police presence (more than 10,000 officers) ever assigned to a planned event.
“From a playoff run that left New Yorkers breathless to a tip-in that will be talked about for decades, the Knicks have earned a hero’s welcome,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement Wednesday. “We have dreamed of this moment for generations. This Thursday, our city will rise to the occasion.”
The party hasn’t stopped since the Knicks stormed the court in San Antonio, returning from their champagne-soaked celebration Sunday to begin a whirlwind tour throughout the city.
The starters (Brunson, Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart) visited “Good Morning America” and the “Today” show, with coach Mike Brown and the rest of the team joining them on “The Tonight Show.” Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado, joined by teammate Jordan Clarkson, rode shirtless in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in his native borough.
Now, they will ride on floats that felt like a fantasy to fans who suffered through the heartbreak of the 1990s, the embarrassment of the 2000s, the false hope and face-plants of the 2010s, and the climb under Tom Thibodeau. They will come together as one, as they did at watch parties throughout the city, and while taking over arenas in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland and San Antonio, witnessing perhaps the most meaningful and unifying championship run the city has ever seen.
“Not only for the alumni, but for the fans, this was healing happening in real time,” Towns said on “Good Morning America.” “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime event you’re watching in New York sports history. They haven’t seen a win in [53] years. You’re talking about a whole generation that’s passed being told about the stories of how great the Knicks are, but not actually seeing that trophy be raised by a Knicks player … now you get to see it with your own eyes that the Knicks are, again, world champions.”
Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing, among other team alumni, will ride in the parade. Mitchell Robinson will ride in one of his custom trucks. Mike Breen, the Knicks’ longtime broadcaster, will emcee the ceremony at City Hall.
And the festivities will conclude there, with Alicia Keys singing “Empire State of Mind”:
“Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York.”