Since the Knicks’ Game 5 win over the Spurs that ended the 53-year title drought, there has been a noticeably positive vibe in the streets of Queens, and New York City at large.
The Knicks became a unifying force, bringing New Yorkers together in a way few have experienced.
“The Knicks unite us all,” said Frank Fennelly, a Queens local who works as a firefighter in Elmhurst. “It’s amazing. Everybody’s here, everybody’s having a great time.”
Fennelly remembers watching the 1999 Knicks make their last run to the championship as a child in Queens.
“My first ever sports memory is the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals,” he said. “First time I ever remember watching sports with my dad…It comes full circle.”
Queens’ elected officials celebrated at City Hall as well.
“As a fan for so long, to watch this team, the perseverance, the grit, just overcoming all the challenges of the season, they’re what we are as New Yorkers, they represent the best of us,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who was decked out in Knicks merch. “This has been a long time coming.”
Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who is known for her avid fandom of New York’s other basketball team, the New York Liberty, said she enjoyed seeing the city come together around a diverse set of superstars.