Knicks’ championship parade crowds were already mind-blowingly insane in wee hours of morning

Fans have been gathering in New York City and preparing for the Knicks’ championship parade on Thursday, June 18, 2026, hours in advance.

Videos have surfaced of the craziness in Manhattan. CNN’s Omar Jimenez posted a video on social media showing how crowded the subway was, claiming he “couldn’t even get OUT of the subway station for almost 30 minutes.”

It was so crowded trying to get to the Knicks parade today I couldn’t even get OUT of the subway station for almost 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/KAkAfdpRjj

— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) June 18, 2026

It didn’t end there, though. Other videos showed the lines at 6 am for the parade outside the subway and on the streets. It was complete madness, with barricades up and the police on the scene.

6:00AM line to get into the Knicks parade. pic.twitter.com/BTRCZYw8CO

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 18, 2026

Needless to say, the streets are absolutely flooded with people, and this is hours before the parade is set to begin. Expect it to get even crazier as the parade gets closer to kickoff.

An update for fans hoping to attend Knicks’ championship parade

At 8:03 am, New York City’s emergency notification system, NYCEM, said that all of the viewing pens fans could stand in were “full.” That means that “no one else will be allowed in the viewing area.” However, if anyone already in one of the pens leaves, they won’t be allowed to reenter.

The Knicks’ parade will commence at 10 am EST on Thursday, June 18. It will go through the city, culminating at City Hall before a ceremony.

Once the team reaches City Hall, a ceremony will be held around 12 pm EST. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani will present the players with keys to the city. Additionally, Alicia Keys will perform during it.

The Knicks won the franchise’s first championship since 1973 this year. They beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win the chip.

Ironically, their last NBA Finals appearance in 1999 was also against the Spurs. However, they lost that series in five games. 27 years later, they were able to flip the narrative by beating the Spurs in five.

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