The New York Knicks clinched their third NBA championship Saturday night, ending a 53-year drought and prompting the city’s first historic ticker‑tape parade for the franchise. Gates on the Canyon of Heroes opened at 6 a.m. Thursday, and the venue reached capacity within ninety minutes, three hours before the scheduled start. Fans surged onto subways and bridges, eager for a front‑row view.

Early birds like John Kaplan left New Jersey at 4 a.m., boarding a PATH train to secure a spot. Alfred Alcaide drove from Washington Heights at 1 a.m., armed with a goat onesie and Dominican flag, determined to be “front and center.” Others trekked from Long Island and Bridgewater, some waking before 4 a.m., all chasing the same trophy‑filled procession in the city.

The marathon of pre‑dawn devotion turned the parade into a communal celebration, echoing Saturday’s street revelry. With free admission and a tangible symbol of the championship, fans treated the event as a substitute for scarce game tickets. By the time the procession rolled past Battery Place, the city had finally witnessed a Knicks triumph that broke half a century of longing.