Tens of thousands of fans marched to celebrate the Knicks winning the NBA championship.

Tens of thousands of New York Knicks fans, dressed in blue and orange jerseys, gathered in Lower Manhattan for a massive paper roll parade to celebrate the team's NBA championship victory.

The streets from Battery Park to City Hall were packed with fans, forcing police to close Broadway early due to the crowds reaching capacity. The atmosphere was electric. Fans drank and celebrated in the streets, some even climbing onto police cars for photos.

New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani danced with championship hero Karl-Anthony Towns on a float; basketball star OG Anunoby interacted with fans while holding the Mid-Season Championship trophy and drinking tequila; legend Carmelo Anthony, Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, and many other celebrities also showed up to support the event.

The marchers included New Yorkers from all walks of life. Wesley Zhou, a 27-year-old Chinese-American basketball fan, said he became a fan after the 2012 "Linsanity" phenomenon and found it incredible to see people from different communities celebrating the same goal.

John Rivera, 69, worked in the New York subway for 30 years. He was only 13 when the Knicks last won a championship, and today is his birthday, which has given him a renewed sense of belonging.

In addition, "Cake Guy," who became famous outside Madison Square Garden, was also handing out desserts to fans for free. Barbara, a fan from New Jersey, looked at the huge crowd around her and said, "Everyone here used to be a stranger, but now we're one family."

Although many people know that the crowds make it difficult to see the players, as fan Benny said, people come here to experience pure joy, which is what makes sports so great.

Image source: Internet