The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to take home their first title in 53 years. Police brace for everything from rowdy celebrations to riots, and they got a little bit of everything.
Tens of thousands of people poured out onto Broadway and into Times Square after the Knicks completed a 19-point comeback. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani even got in on the fun, joining celebrations at a bar in Manhattan’s West Village.
While the earlier celebrations were more like a big street party, festivities evolved into isolated incidents of violence.
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New York Knicks fans climb on buses as they celebrate after they win the NBA Finals in Times Square on June 14, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images) -
New York Knicks fans celebrate as they win against San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images) -
New York Knicks fans celebrate their victory after Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Throughout the night, people climbed onto light posts, passenger cars and police vehicles, smashing some of the cars’ windshields.
It culminated with a shooting in Times Square around 2 a.m. that left at least one person, a 17-year-old, shot in the foot. Police officers had to take the teen to the hospital after an ambulance couldn’t get through the crowds. At least four other people were stabbed or slashed throughout the evening.
Celebrants also damaged at least five school buses, setting at least one on fire, outside the New York Port Authority, 10 blocks north of Madison Square Garden. Those school buses were lined up to take fans to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for World Cup games.
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People stand near a shuttle bus outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal, after it burned amid celebrations over the New York Knicks’ win over the San Antonio Spurs and World Cup festivities in New York, U.S., June 14, 2026. The shuttles had been brought in to transport spectators to and from the New York/New Jersey stadium for the World Cup. REUTERS/Ed Ou -
A fire on a shuttle bus, used to transport spectators for 2026 FIFA World Cup, is extinguished outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York, amid celebrations over the New York Knicks’ win over the San Antonio Spurs and World Cup festivities, New York, U.S., June 14, 2026. REUTERS/Ed Ou -
Damaged school buses are seen after reportedly being set on fire in the area of Times Square following the New York Knicks’ first NBA championship win in 53 years, in Manhattan, New York, United States, on June 14, 2026. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto)
At least 10 New York Police Department officers were injured throughout the night, according to ABC7 New York.
In all, police arrested 63 people Saturday night into Sunday morning during the game and the following championship celebrations. Charges ranged from an assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a gun, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration.
In a straightforward post on X, Mamdani announced the city will honor the team Thursday.
Thursday’s festivities will include traditional New York championship honors: a ticker tape parade through the Canyon of Champions and a ceremony at City Hall.
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