Revealing the Knicks Championship Parade: Brunson Boldly Responds to Criticism as Millions of Fans Flood the Streets

On June 19, Beijing time, the Knicks held their championship parade, with the Associated Press reporting on this massive celebration. Brunson boldly responded to criticism, as more than a million fans took to the streets to celebrate. Details are as follows—

During the Knicks' historic championship journey, Brunson ignored all the skepticism from outsiders, determined only to achieve his goal—securing a long-awaited championship for the city of New York. And today, at the parade where over a million fans gathered on the streets to celebrate the Knicks' first title in 53 years, Brunson finally fired back at all those who doubted him.

At the celebration event at City Hall, Brunson said: "Too many people love to say negative things, everyone has their own opinion. But when you prove them wrong with your actions, there's no need to waste words on them—they don't deserve it."

The newly crowned Finals MVP, Brunson, took an unconventional path to stardom, leading many to question whether he could rank among the league's elite. Former WNBA legend and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon was one of the most vocal critics. In December 2023, she made controversial remarks, stating that Brunson couldn't be a team's top star and that the Knicks couldn't win a title relying on a 1.88-meter guard.

Hammon said at the time: "If your best player is short, your team can't win a championship."

Teammate Mikal Bridges admitted earlier this week during an Instagram live that Hammon's words became a source of motivation for Brunson. Today, as the Knicks' championship parade wound through the skyscraper-lined "Canyon of Heroes" in lower Manhattan, Brunson was all smiles throughout.

"Wow, New York, we really did it," Brunson reflected. "I knew deep down that we could forge a path to the championship."

Shortly after, New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani presented the key to the city to all Knicks players, coaches, team owners, and staff. The mayor, wearing a Knicks jersey under his suit jacket, admitted that countless fans, like himself, had "waited for so many years, always believing deep in their hearts that the Knicks would one day return to the top."

Blue and orange Knicks confetti flew through the air, and chants of "Go Knicks!" and "Win it in five!" echoed through the streets.

OG Anunoby made a game-winning putback with just 1.2 seconds left in Game 4 of the Finals. During the parade, he stepped off the float to interact with fans up close, holding the In-Season Tournament trophy in one hand and a bottle of Patron tequila in the other. The Knicks' most iconic die-hard fan, acclaimed director Spike Lee, rode on the same float as Brunson, soaking in the glory.

"I've never been to a championship parade in my life, and to be part of this one—I'm so lucky," Lee said.

Brunson's mother, Sandra, wore a commemorative T-shirt featuring a photo of Jalen and his father, Rick Brunson—who also played for the Knicks during his playing days. She shared the same sentiment as her son: "All the effort was worth it."

Karl-Anthony Towns stood atop the parade bus, holding the Eastern Conference championship trophy in one hand and a cigar in the other, as Mayor Mamdani danced along to music nearby. On another float carrying Knicks legends, Carmelo Anthony also puffed on a victory cigar.

Anthony said: "The whole city won. New Yorkers are—to use a trendy term—completely lit up now."

Fans across the city turned out in full force

The parade started at Bowling Green Park and ended at City Hall. Large crowds poured into lower Manhattan via packed subways. Even several blocks away from the parade route, fans stood shoulder to shoulder, some climbing on others' shoulders to get a better view, while others scaled lampposts and sanitation trucks. On the Brooklyn Bridge, large numbers of people gathered just to hear the sounds from the live broadcast.

34-year-old Sharifa Wallace set out from the Long Island suburbs at 3 a.m. to get to the scene: "I had to be here today no matter what." Growing up in New York, she had watched Knicks games for years, wearing a vintage Patrick Ewing jersey.

Team owner James Dolan expressed gratitude to the fans who had waited more than half a century.

Head coach Mike Brown called out to the crowd: "Carry this passion forever, kids. This championship belongs to every fan."

A unique New York atmosphere

Bars and delis along the route were packed with fans, many regretting not arriving at dawn. But even those who could only watch the parade from a distance felt completely satisfied.

"It doesn't matter if we can't get close; we just want to be part of this one-of-a-kind New York vibe," said Gene Strong from Harlem, who came with his nephew and sister.

Terrell Emerson, a chef who grew up in Queens, drove all the way from Maryland with his daughter Madison—whose name honors Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' home arena.

Madison beamed with joy, holding a handwritten sign that said she had skipped her fifth-grade graduation to attend the parade.

Celebrities and Knicks legends gather on site

Walt Frazier, a Knicks legend from the 1970s championship teams, led the parade in a stylish convertible, wearing multiple championship rings. He remembered his former teammates and coaches who had passed away.

"If they could see this Knicks team now, seeing how they've completely ignited the entire city of New York, they would be absolutely amazed," Frazier said. "This spectacle far exceeds anything I ever imagined back then."

Many celebrities attended to celebrate: Timothée Chalamet, Jon Stewart, Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay, and others were present. Knicks play-by-play announcer Mike Breen served as the host for the City Hall ceremony.

Singer Alicia Keys performed on stage, delivering a medley that blended "Empire State of Mind" (her 2009 hit with Jay-Z celebrating New York) and the classic song "New York, New York."

A ticker-tape parade decades in the making

The very fact that this parade took place is historic. Although the Knicks won two titles in the 1970s, New York City did not hold ticker-tape parades on either occasion. Then-Mayor John Lindsay cut back on large ticker-tape celebrations for financial and other reasons; in 1970, the team held only a reception at the mayor's official residence, and in 1973, a simple award ceremony packed with people took place outside City Hall.

This time, New York City prepared with full effort. A police officer at the scene held a sign that read: This is really happening.

Police deployed 10,000 officers to maintain order. During the Knicks' championship run (including the five-game Finals series against San Antonio), street celebrations were lively but also saw some chaos and isolated incidents of violence.

The fire department reported that at least nine people were taken to the hospital, though no further details on their injuries were disclosed.

Before the parade began, a crowded situation occurred at the Fulton Street subway hub: a large crowd surged toward the barriers, and people were squeezed between the crowd and police officers who were holding back the barriers.

The city deployed about 650 sanitation workers for cleanup. Based on past similar events, the parade would generate tens of thousands of pounds of shredded paper waste, making the cleanup effort massive.

What is a New York ticker-tape parade?

The term "ticker-tape parade" originates from the narrow paper strips used by stock tickers in the telegraph era. In the late 19th century, employees of major New York brokerage firms would throw these strips from office windows, creating a spectacular shower of paper that gave the parade its name.

For decades, especially before the mid-1960s, New York held many ticker-tape parades to welcome foreign leaders, commemorate major anniversaries, or honor milestones in aviation, war victories, sports championships, music events, and space achievements.

This Knicks parade was the 210th ticker-tape event in New York history, with the previous one being the 2024 championship parade for the WNBA's New York Liberty.