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Violence after Knicks win
New York City’s Knicks championship celebrations turned violent early Sunday after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on Saturday, triggering gunfire near Times Square and disorderly crowds around Midtown Manhattan.
“SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The New York Knicks won their first NBA title since 1973 with a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5”
The NYPD said a 17-year-old was shot in the foot near 42nd Street and Broadway at around 02:00 EDT, and police reported the victim had to be taken to the hospital by police because an ambulance couldn’t get through the crowd.
Police also reported 63 arrests related to the Knicks game overnight and into Sunday morning, with charges including assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a gun, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
NYPD said 10 cops were injured during the disturbances, including one who was punched in the face and another struck by a glass bottle, as crowds damaged vehicles including five school buses used as shuttles for World Cup games.
A spokesperson for the NYNJ host committee said no passengers were on the buses at the time and no one was hurt, while footage from Times Square showed one of the buses engulfed in flames.
Mayor and NYPD on arrests
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city would celebrate the Knicks with a ticker-tape parade down Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes set for Thursday, and officials announced the parade would step off at 10 a.m. by Battery Park and run north up Broadway to City Hall.
In the same period, Mamdani also told residents there was “no tolerance for violence, whether towards police officers or anyone else,” as the NYPD described crowds as “increasingly destructive” and said the behavior was “incredibly reckless and dangerous behaviour.”
Gothamist reported the dense crowds stretched from Fifth Avenue to Ninth Avenue, and mounted police officers began moving revelers off Ninth Avenue and redirected people toward Tenth Avenue.
Fox News reported that police responded to a shooting at approximately 2:01 a.m. near 42nd Street and Broadway, and an NYPD spokesperson said, “We will advise total numbers later on in the day.”
Sportstar described police fencing off some streets and riot-gear officers moving in after holding back for about two hours, chasing fans down the streets around Madison Square Garden.
Next steps for NYC
As the city prepared for official victory events, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that City Hall and municipal buildings across New York City would be illuminated in blue and orange on Thursday, June 18.
“Photo Credit: Reuters A teenager was shot and several buses were destroyed as celebrations for the New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in more than 50 years descended into chaos in New York City”
The NBA ticker-tape plan included a City Hall ceremony honoring the team and awarding Keys to the City on Thursday, June 18, with additional parade logistics and media RSVP instructions to be released on Sunday, June 14.
Sportico described celebrations continuing into the early hours of Sunday, with Knicks fans gathering at Pier 17 and Orange and blue fireworks over the pier after the broadcast showed Jalen Brunson receiving the finals MVP award.
Meanwhile, AP’s photo gallery framed the championship moment as a 94-90 Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and players including Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama shown in its captions.
Even as the Knicks’ title celebrations moved toward Thursday’s parade, the NYPD’s reported aftermath included gunfire, stabbings, vehicle damage and 63 arrests overnight, with the city’s official schedule set against the backdrop of the early-morning chaos.
