On Oct. 24, 2024, the New York Liberty celebrated their first WNBA title with a ticker-tape parade. Most Knicks fans wondered when their beloved Knicks would break their 53-year curse and hold theirs as well. Well, a Jalen-Brunson-led team finally broke that ‘spell’ on June 13 after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 to clinch the 2026 NBA Finals. That triggered one of the largest public celebrations New York has seen in decades, and city officials are preparing for enormous crowds at Thursday’s ticker-tape parade.

According to multiple New York-area reports, the NYPD is planning one of its largest parade security deployments in recent memory. Roughly 10,000 officers have parade-related duties as hundreds of thousands of fans will pack Lower Manhattan. 

The parade will run through the historic Canyon of Heroes from Battery Park to City Hall, where the players will receive Keys to the City. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch praised officers for handling the championship-night celebrations, stressing that the department is preparing for another major public-safety challenge during the parade.

The parade deployment responds to multiple violent incidents across the city, including a fatal shooting in Brooklyn and a separate shooting that left a teenager hospitalized.

The Knicks clinched the championship by defeating the Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. The victory ended a championship drought that goes back to 1973, delivering the franchise’s first NBA title in more than half a century. Fans celebrated Jalen Brunson for his Finals performance, including a 45-point effort in the clinching game that earned him Finals MVP honors.

While most celebrations were peaceful, portions of Manhattan descended into disorder shortly after the final buzzer. Authorities reported crowds flooding Times Square and Midtown streets, as well as fans who climbed buses, scaffolding, and light poles. Further, multiple NYPD vehicles were being vandalized, and a few FIFA World Cup buses were being damaged and at least one set on fire.

The NYPD reportedly made 63 arrests, with charges including assaulting police officers, weapon possession, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Further, a 17-year-old boy got shot in the foot near 42nd Street and Broadway during the overnight celebrations. According to the police, the teen suffered a seizure and was transported to Bellevue Hospital; he is now in a coma. Investigators recovered a firearm, though details regarding suspects and charges remain limited.

The incident that has put the NYPD on full alert for the Knicks parade

The most tragic incident connected to the championship celebrations occurred in Brooklyn. 44-year-old Emanuel Spencer, a father of four, was fatally shot near a New York Knicks celebration block party shortly after the Knicks won. Witnesses reportedly initially mistook the gunfire for fireworks because of the ongoing celebrations. Spencer was rushed to a hospital, but later succumbed to his injuries. He was the only reported fatality among several shooting and stabbing incidents recorded across the city that night.

New York officials have tried to balance celebration with concern over the violence. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who advocated for fans’ watch parties, called the championship a moment New Yorkers had waited over 50 years for, praising the team’s grit and resilience while announcing the parade and City Hall ceremony. He also opened a public lottery for ceremony tickets, saying the championship “belongs to the people.”