New York Knicks, 2026 NBA champions, welcome to the Canyon of Heroes.
The Knicks’ championship parade will take place on Thursday, June 18, 2026, beginning at 10 a,m. at Battery Park and making its way to City Hall where the Knicks will be given the key to the city by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The Knicks won their first NBA Championship since 1973, by defeating the San Antonio Spurs, four games to one, with a 94-90 win in San Antonio on June 13.
How did we get here? The Knicks’ path to an NBA title
In 2024-25, the Knicks made a jump going 51-31, but did not complete their goal of winning an NBA championship. New York defeated Detroit in the first round in six games and topped Boston in six games, to advance to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2000. The Knicks lost to Indiana in six games in the Eastern Conference final.
After the season, the Knicks replaced Tom Thibodeau with new coach Mike Brown.
In 2025-26, the Knicks were 53-29. New York won the in-season NBA Cup, defeating San Antonio, 124-113, in the championship game. The Knicks opted not to raise a banner for the NBA Cup victory at Madison Square Garden, in hopes of raising an NBA Championship banner later.
The Knicks beat Atlanta in six games in the opening round, swept Philadelphia and swept Cleveland in advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. They again faced San Antonio and defeated the Spurs in five games.
Jalen Brunson, who scored 45 points in the deciding Game 5, was named the MVP of the finals.
Traffic and road closures expected
The parade will begin at Battery Park at 10 a.m., travel north along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes and end at City Hall.
Large crowds are expected, and fans are encouraged to arrive early. Metro-North is adding trains to accommodate people headed to the parade.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said police will increase their presence throughout the area to help manage crowds and ensure public safety.
Drivers should expect significant traffic delays throughout Lower Manhattan.
Road closure schedule
What is the weather forecast for the Knicks parade?
Thursday is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high near 85 degrees.
The National Weather Service forecasts a 50% chance of showers around 2 p.m. While the parade should be finished by then, crowds may still be gathered at City Hall for the team’s reception.
Subway service and station closures
Beginning at 4:30 a.m. Thursday, the following stations will close and reopen after the parade and City Hall ceremony:
Closed stations
Stations remaining open
Parade route access points
The following intersections will serve as access points to the parade route:
Viewing pens along the route will open at 6 a.m. Thursday.
All attendees will be screened before entering. Bags will not be permitted in or around the parade route.
Prohibited items
The following items are not allowed:
Plastic water bottles will be permitted.
City Hall reception details
The City Hall reception will begin at noon following the parade.
The city is distributing 600 free tickets through an NBA lottery, with 300 winners receiving two tickets each.
How to watch the parade live
There will be a live stream available on lohud.com
Major New York City television stations, including Fox 5, My9, CBS 2, NBC 4 and ABC 7, will begin coverage around 9:30 a.m.
Livestreams will also be available through the FOX 5 YouTube channel and the NYC.gov page.
For the first time, a New York sports championship parade will also be available on national streaming platforms, including:
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Knicks championship parade live updates, route, road closures
Reporting by Stephen Haynes, George Caratzas and Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Stephen Haynes, George Caratzas and Alexandra Rivera, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
