Celebrations in the heart of New York City turned violent overnight Saturday into Sunday after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to capture the NBA championship — their first title in more than 50 years.
Fans flooded the streets of midtown Manhattan, lighting fireworks and setting off smoke grenades after pouring out of packed bars and gathering in outdoor spaces. The crowd repeatedly chanted “Knicks in five!” — a nod to Game 5 of the NBA Finals, which New York won 94-90 to take the series 4-1.
The victory marks the Knicks’ first championship since 1973 and only their third appearance in the NBA Finals overall. The team previously fell short in 1994 against the Houston Rockets and in 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs — the same franchise they defeated Saturday night for redemption.
Around 2 a.m., a 17-year-old was struck by a bullet in the foot during the Times Square festivities, a New York City police officer told Reuters. Three suspects were taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
As the night wore on, hundreds of people — most of them young — swarmed a convoy of roughly 15 shuttle buses parked at Times Square. The buses had just finished transporting soccer fans from the first World Cup match held in the New York area, a 1-1 draw between Brazil and Morocco. Celebrants climbed onto the rooftops of the vehicles, forced their way inside, and sat down in the drivers’ seats.
One of the yellow school buses — rented by the city to move World Cup attendees — was set ablaze, according to a Reuters journalist on the scene. At least three additional shuttles sustained serious damage.
At one point, a bicycle was hauled up onto the roof of a bus. Brazilian soccer supporters joined Knicks fans on top of another bus, waving their country’s flag. A man with a bloodied face was also spotted moving through the crowd, though the cause of his injury could not be confirmed.
Youssef Sabbr, a 49-year-old Canadian of Moroccan descent who had stepped off one of the World Cup buses before it was surrounded by the mob, described the scene. “They are expressing their joy, in a somewhat violent way, but that’s how it is,” he said. “This is what happens everywhere in the world when a team wins,” he added.
Police cordoned off several streets in the area and held back for approximately two hours before officers in riot gear moved in, pursuing some individuals through the surrounding blocks. Mounted police also pushed the crowd back and cleared the streets near Madison Square Garden, the home arena of the Knicks.
