New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani stood at the podium on Thursday and mentioned Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Willis Reed, and John Starks before a crowd that had waited 53 years for the moment. Down on the parade route, one member of the championship roster was having a rather different experience of the celebration.

Tyler Kolek decided to get down from the float to run along the barricade and high-five fans in the front row. He held a beer in the other hand. Not 30 seconds in, two NYPD officers stopped him in his tracks. They almost took him down to the ground before some people from the team came around to sort out the confusion. But Kolek has only found humor after being so close to one of the most embarrassing arrests in a championship parade’s history.

“I swear I’m on the team bro,” Kolek posted on X with laughing emojis.

Kolek also reposted a video of the scene on Instagram, commenting, “I hoop bro I swear,” and four laughing-until-crying emojis.

The Knicks player’s outfit didn’t really help his case either. He was decked out in team merch, including a white hat and a grey tee, while wearing gym shorts. Now, with a 6-foot-2 lanky build, it would be very difficult for an officer to recognize Kolek, especially from behind.

The NYPD had deployed thousands of officers for the parade, with cops on high alert to prevent fans from breaking through the barricades. There have been several reports of the breakdown of law and order in the city, including shootings, injuries, and even tragic deaths, after the Knicks clinched the title. So, it is fair to conclude that the police were only doing their job. However, the confusion is not entirely without explanation.

Kolek did not play a single minute in the NBA Finals, with his last postseason appearance coming in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland. Across eight playoff games, he had 53 total minutes. At best, Kolek was a deep-rotation player during the Knicks’ championship run. While what happened was unfortunate, his low minutes volume last season may have played a role in law enforcement not recognizing him. 

What’s Next for Sophomore Guard Tyler Kolek?

Tyler Kolek now enters the offseason as a 25-year-old point guard trying to become good enough to be trusted to deputize for Jalen Brunson. All that depends on how he develops while improving his defense. The former Marquette star signed a four-year, $9.06 million rookie contract with New York in July 2024. At the time, it was reported as the largest guaranteed contract ever for a second-round pick, with over $6.5 million in guarantees.  

Furthermore, he is set to earn about $2.3 million next season, and New York holds a team option worth approximately $2.49 million for 2027-28. If the Knicks exercise that, he would become a restricted free agent in 2028, which would allow the organization the chance to match outside offers.

Under head coach Mike Brown, Kolek’s game time saw a bump to double digits in the regular season. He put up 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.6 rebounds. The youngster showed New York glimpses of his potential when he scored a near-triple-double on December 23 (20 points and 11 rebounds) or his 16-point, nine-assist haul on Christmas Day. It also depends on what Jalen Brunson’s current replacement, Jose Alvarado, who’s on a player option for 2026-27, does.

James Dolan’s stance on WFAN Sports Radio earlier was clear.

“We’re willing to stretch, right? But there are certain things in the NBA that you have to be suicidal to do, and we’re not going to do those,” the Knicks owner said. “The one is called the second apron. You cannot go into the second apron.”

Dolan also made a promise to the fanbase at his ‘Keys to the City’ speech for the upcoming season.

“We’re going to keep working to bring you even better basketball,” Dolan said. “Although it’s hard to imagine that we’ll get much better than this. But we will.”

That decision might just work in his favor. He will be promoted to a more trusted position in the team and given a chance to prove himself.