Around 11:30 PM on the night of the 13th in the Manhattan area of New York. It was a night where even those with absolutely no interest in basketball could not simply close their eyes. Cheers erupted simultaneously from every corner of the streets, and cars honked their horns as if by prior agreement.<\/p>\n
As the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) clinched the championship for the first time in 53 years, the excitement from watching the game in Manhattan\u2019s restaurants, bars, and parks poured directly out onto the streets. On this day, the Knicks staged a comeback victory, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on the road in San Antonio, Texas.<\/p>\n
Trailing throughout the game, the Knicks managed a dramatic turnaround in the final moments of the fourth quarter. Fans wearing the Knicks’ iconic orange and blue uniforms lined the streets. As game time approached, the streets of Manhattan were unusually quiet for a weekend evening. Instead, bars showing the broadcast were packed with fans without exception, and long lines formed waiting to enter. Some regular restaurants also installed large TVs for customers at outdoor tables.<\/p>\n
A bar manager in Manhattan’s Upper West Side described the atmosphere, saying, “Of course we had to show the Knicks game today; otherwise, there would have been riots.” Large electronic screens were also installed at major landmarks such as Central Park and Pier 17, where cheering battles unfolded.<\/p>\n
Before the game, fans chanted “Knicks in 5,” hoping for a 4-1 series victory, and after the championship was confirmed, they sang Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” in unison and shouted, “Knicks Forever.” Major buildings, including Manhattan landmarks like the Empire State Building, also celebrated the victory by lighting up orange and blue celebratory lights.<\/p>\n
On the day the Knicks were challenging for the championship, another sporting festival awaited just across the river from Manhattan. In New Jersey, the World Cup group stage match between Brazil and Morocco was taking place, and soccer and basketball fans flocked all at once to the area around Penn Station in Manhattan, where trains heading to the World Cup stadium stop.<\/p>\n
Even amidst the green and yellow (Brazil) and red (Morocco) soccer uniforms, orange and blue (Knicks) uniforms were overwhelmingly more numerous. Inside Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home arena located right near Penn Station, a concert by a major band was held, further intensifying the congestion. In anticipation of the simultaneous influx of World Cup spectators and Knicks supporters, New York City issued a “traffic paralysis alert,” strengthened traffic management, and significantly increased police deployment. However, once the championship was confirmed for the first time in 53 years, the fans’ joy sometimes escalated into violent behavior.<\/p>\n
As excited fans poured into the streets, vehicle traffic was blocked in some areas, and some individuals climbed onto lampposts or structures or vandalized police vehicles. Police moved to contain the crowd by firing tear gas and other means.<\/p>\n
Local media, including the New York Post, reported that at least four people were arrested on charges including property damage and obstruction of official duties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"