By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK, June 14 (Reuters) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had three words for his constituents early on Sunday after his beloved Knicks broke a 53-year-old NBA title drought: “PARADE THURSDAY MANHATTAN”.
The New York Knicks mounted yet another double-digit comeback to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on the road on Saturday, ending an excruciating wait for the millions of fans in the five boroughs who regarded the win as nothing short of a miracle.
“To have the fans that we have in New York City and be able to bring home a championship after all these years is absolutely amazing. It’s a surreal feeling,” coach Mike Brown told reporters.
“I mean, I don’t know how long it’s been since that final buzzer went off but I still don’t believe it. I’m pinching myself.”
Dozens of New Yorkers lined up in front of Madison Square Garden on Sunday morning, as the self-styled “World’s Most Famous Arena” swung open its doors for fans eager to purchase championship merchandise.
Mia Smith, a playwright and actress raised in Queens, said the win was an historic moment for the city.
“It means hope, it means joy, excitement for the city,” said Smith, 37. “It’s so much joy, community.”
Amy Loria, an immigrant from the Philippines who lives in Brooklyn, said she adopted the team when she moved to New York 10 years ago.
“It was electric. We were so amazed with the game,” said Loria, a 50-year-old registered nurse. “If you can do anything, it’s always in New York.”
PARADE PARTY
Plans will now ramp up for a celebration equal to the United States’ biggest sports market, as a collision of sports mega-events draws the eyes of the world to the Big Apple.
New York New Jersey stadium, an amalgam of two bitter geographic rivals brought together to host eight World Cup soccer matches, saw its first game on Saturday, with the 1-1 draw between up-and-comers Morocco and powerhouse Brazil wrapping up around the time that the Knicks and Spurs tipped off.
Hundreds of people swarmed a convoy of about 15 shuttle buses in Times Square after they dropped off fans from the match and one was set on fire during chaotic post-game celebrations that saw thousands of New Yorkers out in the city streets and a teenager suffering a gunshot wound.
There was no sign of that chaos hours later in Midtown, where billboards advertisements celebrated star point guard and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, while fans wearing Knicks jerseys buzzed with excitement over the win.
The parade on Thursday will step on the toes of yet another regional sports mega-event, with the U.S. Open golf set to tee off down the road in Southampton the same day. The Long Island Rail Road has constructed a temporary train platform adjacent to the championship ground to manage the huge influx of fans.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)
