The Knicks championship parade made its way from Battery Park through the Canyon of Heroes, culminating with a ceremony outside City Hall.
There, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Knicks owner James Dolan, president Leon Rose, and head coach Mike Brown — among others — thanked Knicks fans, players, executives, and every one else who helped along the way as the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought.
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Here are some of the top quotes from Thursday’s ceremony…
Mayor Zohran Mamdani
“They give the Spurs a 99.6 percent chance of winning [Game 4 when the Knicks trailed by 20 in the fourth quarter.] A 99.6 percent chance of tying up the series 2-2, of reclaiming the momentum with the next game in San Antonio. A 99.6 percent chance of silencing the Garden, of another year of watching and waiting. But there is one thing that the pundits just don’t get about this team, that they just don’t get about this city. It is in that .4 percent that we go to work.
“It is in that .4 percent that Jalen Brunson, the same guy that so many said was too small, proves that not only is he good enough, he is the new standard of greatness. It is in that .4 percent that OG Anunoby watches the ball float from the top of the arc and start running toward the basket, fingers reaching toward the heavens. It is in that .4 percent that Karl-Anthony Towns finds the strength to mourn his mother and still grab rebound after rebound, make block after block. It is in that .4 percent that Jose Alvarado shows every kid growing up in public housing that a son of Brooklyn and Queens can win for every one of the five boroughs. It is in that .4 percent that [Mitchell Robinson] breaks his finger before Game 1 and says ‘Go get the tape.’ It’s in that .4 percent that Josh Hart grabs rebounds that break teams and Mikal Bridges proves he was worth every single draft pick, that Landry Shamet pulls up from downtown, that every one of these 18 players transforms the franchise, that Mike Brown keeps believing.
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“Most of all, it’s in that .4 percent that the Knicks do what New Yorkers have always done when we are told something is impossible. We find a way. We win.”
James Dolan
“Thank you for supporting our team. We’re gonna keep working to bring you even better basketball — although it’s hard to imagine that we get much better than this — but we will, right fellas?”
Leon Rose
“Last and most importantly, to the greatest fans in the world, we did it for you. Your support in every arena, it felt like a home game wherever we played, and all over the world has been unbelievable, and we hope to see you again very soon.”
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Mike Brown
“I’m proud of everybody for helping accomplish this great feat. The energy today and all around New York is off the charts, and I want to thank you all for it. Let’s keep this energy going, baby, because this championship is about you guys. This is New York City’s championship.
“We had our ups, we definitely had our downs, and our group stayed connected through those times. … You saw the belief, the belief in each other.”