The New York Knicks will celebrate their first NBA championship in 53 years on Thursday with a parade from Battery Park to City Hall in New York City. The parade could be the biggest the city has ever seen, with millions expected to attend the celebration.
And things won’t stop there. The team has also accepted an invitation from President Donald Trump to celebrate their win, becoming the first NBA championship team to visit the White House during his tenure.
Celebrations kick off with a parade
Fans have likely been celebrating across New York City since Saturday’s win, but things will become official Thursday morning.
The team will take part in a parade along the Canyon of Heroes beginning at 10 a.m. ET, followed by a championship celebration and Key to the City ceremony hosted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani at City Hall Plaza.
Streets have been packed with fans since early morning, and even overnight, with some choosing to walk or take e-bikes to get around because trains have been diverted from their normal routes due to crowds.
And businesses along the parade route are taking advantage too, establishing their own celebrations outside their offices and buildings.
Take the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, for example, which is hosting its own party including confetti cannons, a live drum performance and a kid-sized championship celebration.
10,000 New York police officers have been assigned to work the parade, and millions are expected to attend.
An invitation from the White House
The parade will not be the only celebration, either. Details on when have not been finalized, but the New York Knicks will become the first NBA championship team to visit a Trump White House.
James Dolan, the team’s owner, confirmed the team accepted an invite during a radio interview on Wednesday. He said he’s been friends with Trump for 30 years and is “very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
The invitation from Trump comes after Dolan invited the president to Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. The president attended with his granddaughter and members of his cabinet.
No NBA championship team has ever visited the White House while Trump was president. The Golden State Warriors denied an invitation in both 2017 and 2018, and the Toronto Raptors denied in 2019, citing scheduling conflicts.
In 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers declined to visit, though it was amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which would’ve complicated the visit.
In 2021, when the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship, they visited the White House, but it was under former President Joe Biden. The Warriors and Celtics each visited in subsequent years as well, under Biden.
Champion teams visiting the White House
Despite NBA teams declining White House visits, other championship teams and players have visited under Trump.
Most recently, the gold-medal-winning men’s USA hockey team visited the White House but drew fierce backlash for going. The women’s team, which also won a gold medal, turned down its own invitation.
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