Why is the Knicks ticker-tape parade being held Thursday? What we know

After decades of waiting, the New York Knicks‘ loyal fanbase will take over the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, June 18 for a ticker-tape parade and a City Hall ceremony in honor of the team’s third NBA championship.

The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs June 13 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, clinching their first championship title since 1973. Now, the Knickerbockers will celebrate with their loyal fans in New York City in what will be one of the most anticipated championship parades in recent sports history.

Despite their previous championships, this will also be the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks franchise history.

“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks.”

In an interview with NY1, Mamdani said that he believes this could be the largest parade in the city’s history. But why, just like many previous championship parades, is it being held mid-week? Here’s what we know.

The parade will begin around 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, near Battery Park. It will travel north along Broadway through the “Canyon of Heroes” before ending at City Hall for a ceremony honoring the team and awarding Keys to the City.

City Hall and municipal buildings across the city will be illuminated in blue and orange to celebrate the victory, Mamdani said.

Just moments after the final game, Mamdani announced on X that the New York Knicks championship parade would be held on Thursday, June 18.

If you look at the history of New York City sports parades, many of them have been held on weekdays. As detailed by silive.com, city officials typically operate on a “near-immediate” timeline following major championships.

Championships won on weekends, for example, are often followed by Tuesday parades, silive.com reports. Monday is used by city agencies to coordinate street closures and crowd control.

Speaking to NY1 Monday, the mayor said the city wanted to move quickly, as fans immediately began asking when the parade would take place. City officials coordinated with the Knicks to choose the date, Mamdani added.

“Thursday was the best date, given everything,” Mamdani told NY1. “One of the key things we wanted to make sure was that players and their families could be here. So I know there were some who may have wanted a quicker turnaround, but we had to make sure that everyone could bring everyone that meant something to them from the team to the parade itself.”

Many New York City residents, however, were not pleased with the decision.

Almost immediately after Mamdani’s announcement, students and parents launched online petitions, urging the state to move its science exams, known as Regents exams, so they could attend the parade. According to the New York Times, the exams will go on.

Mamdani is recommending that students put their exams first, telling NY1, “My encouragement would be that you should still be taking the Regents. Unlike the executive order for bedtime, this is something I cannot repeal.”

Ticker-tape parades are a longstanding tradition in New York City. As detailed by the New York Times, they honor people who were part of monumental moments, ranging from athletes to astronauts, members of the military, foreign dignitaries and more. The first ticker-tape parade was held in 1886 as a dedication of the Statue of Liberty.

According to the New York Times, these parades got their name from scraps of ticker tape, or paper ribbon used to print stock market data by telegraph, which served as confetti.

Over the past few decades, the city has held several ticker-tape parades in honor of its athletes. Most recently, on Nov. 24, 2025, New York City’s women’s soccer team Gotham FC took over the city streets after its NWSL championship win.

Here’s a look at some other notable ticker-tape parades that have been held in honor or New York City sports:

• World Series champion New York Mets on Oct. 28, 1986

• Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers on June 17, 1994

• World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 29, 1996

• World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 23, 1998

• World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 29, 1999

• World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 30, 2000

• Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants on Feb. 5, 2008

• World Series champion New York Yankees on Nov. 6, 2009

• Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants on Feb. 7, 2012

• FIFA World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Team on July 10, 2015

• FIFA World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Team on July 10, 2019

• WNBA champion New York Liberty on Oct. 24, 2024

• Gotham FC NWSL champion on Nov. 24, 2025

World Series champion New York Mets on Oct. 28, 1986

Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers on June 17, 1994

World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 29, 1996

World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 23, 1998

World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 29, 1999

World Series champion New York Yankees on Oct. 30, 2000

Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants on Feb. 5, 2008

World Series champion New York Yankees on Nov. 6, 2009

Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants on Feb. 7, 2012

FIFA World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Team on July 10, 2015

FIFA World Cup champion U.S. Women’s National Team on July 10, 2019

WNBA champion New York Liberty on Oct. 24, 2024

Gotham FC NWSL champion on Nov. 24, 2025

As previously mentioned, these parades are not just reserved for athletes. On July 7, 2021, a ticker-tape parade marched through the Canyon of Heroes in honor of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, there have been more than 200 ticker-tape parades.