Knicks backup offers hilarious seven-word response after police mistake him for fan at New York parade

Tyler Kolek still has some way to go before establishing himself as a recognizable face in New York.

The Knicks point guard might have featured in 62 games across the 2025 season, but he averaged just under 12 minutes in those appearances, coming off the bench.

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Fans of the newly-crowned NBA champions would be forgiven for forgetting he’s on the active roster, especially as he didn’t feature in the dramatic Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.

The New York Police Department, it seems, aren’t familiar with Kolek’s game either.

NBA star responds after awkward moment at Knicks celebration

During Thursday’s championship parade, the 25-year-old was captured on camera hyping fans as he skipped up the streets of Manhattan.

But before he could get too far, Kolek was stopped by two officers wearing NYPD uniform, who tried to direct him back to the other side of the fence.

Another member of security quickly intervened to pull the player away, presumably to walk him back to where the rest of the team were celebrating.

Footage of the awkward moment quickly went viral, and racked up more than three million views in just a couple of hours.

The video quickly got back to Kolek too.

Thankfully, he took the mix-up in his stride.

“I swear I’m on the team bro,” he wrote on X, responding to a fan who suggested he was nearly tackled by security at the parade.

Kolek’s post was quickly flooded by supportive fans, with some thanking him for his service to the world champion Knicks this season.

The former second-round pick last featured in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, when New York swept the Eastern Conference Finals.

“They did you dirty man. They not really Knicks fans though, or they would’ve recognized!” one fan wrote on X.

“More playing time for Tyler next season! We saw what you did in the NBA Cup,” another said.

“Security doesn’t know ball,” a third joked.

“He’s a fake fan, he should know you’re the one that saved Christmas,” a fourth said.

Tyler Kolek parades NBA Cup at New York parade

As a couple of fans noted, Kolek starred for the Knicks in December.

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He came off the bench during the NBA Cup Championship, and put up 14 points, five rebounds and five assists against the Spurs to help deliver tournament glory.

That performance earned him a shout out from eventual NBA Finals MVP and Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson six months ago, and the pair were also seen together at Thursday’s parade.

Sitting on the float, Kolek gripped the NBA Cup and told Brunson: “This my real trophy right here. Y’all got that one, I got this one.”

Kolek, clearly, was enjoying himself at Thursday’s parade, despite getting stopped by security.

If he plays more minutes in 2026, he’ll soon be able to walk around New York without any worry of being mistaken for a fan.

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