We love a parade — especially a ticker-tape one. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flock to lower Manhattan Thursday to celebrate the Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years — a feat that seals Jalen Brunson in the upper echelons of franchise history and restores glory to a team and fanbase that have long been waiting. The Knicks toppled the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals this year, clinching the championship and securing a day full of confetti, floats, and full-on celebration for New Yorkers and Knicks fans across the U.S. Thursday’s parade kicks off at 10 a.m. near Battery Park and moves north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he will present the Knicks with Keys to the City. “For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Through near misses, heartbreak, and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks. And this team fulfilled that hope with grit, resilience and heart — just like the five boroughs itself.” It’ll be the first ticker-tape parade in franchise history. The Knicks didn’t get one when they won in 1973. On Monday, the mayor was assisting in parade preps. He headed to a Department of Transportation sign shop, where he took questions, and is set to make parade decorations with kids later. Asked about heightened security measures for the parade, especially in light of the utter chaos that broke out as Knicks fans celebrated Game 4 and Game 5 wins, Mamdani acknowledged the pressure. “We’re going to take every precaution that this be a safe and joyous moment for New Yorkers because, as we all know, people have been waiting their entire lives for this,” the mayor said. He noted that the Knicks’ extravaganza “may well be the largest parade in New York City.” Mamdani said more details on the parade are expected in the next few days. He stressed the need for fans to “celebrate responsibly.” The last ticker-tape parade New York City held along the Canyon of Heroes was for the New York Liberty’s WNBA championship in 2024. The events have been going on since the late 1800s to fete the biggest moments. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less