Would it be a New York Knicks event if there was no drama? During the NBA champions’ ticker-tape parade, New York City Hall was draped in commemorative banners honoring individual members of the 2026 championship roster. But Patrick Ewing’s retired No. 33 appearing on a banner sparked outrage, with claims of disrespect taking center stage.

Sandwiched between (Jose) Alvarado 5 and (Jeremy) Sochan 20 was the banner for bench player Dillon Jones. The issue was with the jersey number just below his name. It was #33, which Jones never wore during his time with the Knicks.

Seasoned Knicks fans would instantly know that Ewing’s iconic No. 33 was officially retired in 2003. It is one of seven player jersey numbers retired by the franchise: the other numbers are 10- Walt Frazier, 12- Dick Barnett, 15- Dick McGuire, 15- Earl Monroe, 19- Willis Reed, 22- Dave DeBusschere, and 24- Bill Bradley.  

The blunder has ignited a fierce online debate over who is actually to blame for the jersey mix-up. While many assumed City Hall planners committed an unforgivable error, a search online suggests a deeper clerical issue.

Several fans pointed this out with screenshots to confirm that the NBA’s official website, the Knicks’ official website, and ESPN originally listed Jones as “#33 | Forward” on his active Knicks profile instead of #1.

The confusion may have stemmed from Jones’ previous jersey number. The forward wore #33 during his last preseason stint with the Washington Wizards. It is something that may not have been caught, as he was not the most recognizable player in Orange and Blue until this moment. The 24-year-old made just seven appearances in the regular season and did not appear in the playoffs.

Jones’ number error wasn’t the only administrative one during the parade. There was a moment when the NYPD stopped Tyler Kolek midway through his celebratory high-five walk. The player opted to see the funny side of it with his response to fans who were discussing the incident on X.

Following the banner backlash, the NBA website quickly corrected the mistake to reflect Jones’ real jersey number, but ESPN and various official team pages still list Jones as No. 33. This left fans debating who disrespected Ewing more.

Knicks fans and skeptics square off in banner blame game

There’s one thing that fans seem to agree on. This avoidable error, both in the banners and on the online Knicks profiles, is disrespectful to everything Ewing built.

A small handful suspected it was a prank, as someone pointed out, “Just so we are clear here. There was no 33 on the Knicks all year.”

So why would the organizers look for #33 at all? As the debate intensified, many began digging into where the breakdown occurred. Ultimately, the argument boiled down to a battle between internet databases and administrative failure. The error likely stemmed from City Hall pulling information from official sites listing Jones as #33. Some supporters absolved the city’s event staff, noting that the error was on the league’s part.

“Not their fault if the person approving wasn’t an NBA fan. ESPN, NBA, and Knicks own site listed jones as #33.”

Others took a more tongue-in-cheek approach to the mix-up by joking, “How dare they disrespect x2 NBA champion Dillon Jones.”

Pointing directly to all the official websites, a user tweeted, “Blame the @NBA website that has him listed as 33.”

Others blamed the media, too, for maintaining the error – “ESPN has him as 33 on their Knicks Roster also..so they should get some wake-up calls also.”

However, basketball purists who view Ewing as the greatest player in franchise history were outraged that no one even cross-checked a simple mistake.

One argued, “honestly who is even in charge of these ceremonies because it is not that hard to get the legends right if they cant even honor ewing properly maybe they dont deserve to hold the trophy at all.”

Another echoed the sentiment, typing, “This is embarrassing. Ewing built so much for this franchise and they can’t even get the tribute right?”

Other fans, though, aren’t getting swept up in the side debate.

One fan stated, “Making something out of nothing. Whoever printed those was told ‘print the roster’… Dolan allowed 33 on their official roster despite it being retired. Just enjoy the champion and celebration. People always complaining.”

Summarizing the ultimate absurdity of the debate, one frustrated fan concluded, “Dillon Jones is listed as #33 on the Knicks official roster page. So don’t take up an issue with the City, take the issue up with the Knicks and NBA. Because WTF actually knows what number Dillon Jones wears?”