San Antonio Spurs fans were escorted out of a busy part of New York City (NYC) on Monday, June 8, following the NBA team’s win over the Knicks, according to several social media reports. Authorities say the crowd turned “rowdy, violent, and destructive,” resulting in several arrests.<\/p>\n
Two separate TikTok users shared footage from a spot near Bryant Park, where the city hosted a watch party for Game 3 of the finals. One post<\/a> shows two young adults wearing Victor Wembanyama jerseys being surrounded by members of the New York Police Department. A few people passing by yell at them as they attempted to enter a taxi. Another video shows the same fans on the inner side of a fence separating them from those wearing\u00a0Knicks gear.\u00a0<\/p>\n NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information tells MySA that roughly 7,000 people attended the watch party, and there were several incidents of dangerous behavior.<\/p>\n “A large crowd of people took over 42nd Street and refused to disperse blocking vehicular traffic and causing significant disruptions to traffic in the area,” the spokesperson wrote. “People climbed on top of scaffolding, light poles, police cars, and\u00a0NYPD trucks, causing significant damage. The crowd was throwing glass objects at each other and police officers, and they ripped bus signs and trees out of the ground to throw them. Individuals refused many police orders to clear the streets.”<\/p>\n “Being a Knicks fan doesn\u2019t mean being disrespectful to Spurs fans in any way,” Stiller wrote<\/a>. “We get caught up during the games but we\u00a0gotta show respect to our fellow humans.”<\/p>\n Meanwhile, O’Connell called on NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani to address the actions of some supporters. In total, 21 were taken into custody, NYPD says, including eight who were arrested and charged and 13 who were released with criminal court summonses. Five members of the NYPD were injured.<\/p>\n “Two people were charged with assault on a police officer, and one person was charged with attempted assault on a police officer,” authorities said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “This is a total bummer,” he said on X.com<\/a>. “I went to San Antonio, for Game 1, ALONE, in a\u00a0lightweight-Knicks-collared-shirt and was treated with absolute kindness.”<\/p>\n Mayor Mamdani\u00a0shared a message on social media about the controversy, but some feel it was “weak”<\/a> in its call for safety for\u00a0all basketball watchers.<\/p>\n \u00a0“We’ll win this series on the court (even if the refs refuse to call a flagrant on Wemby), not by targeting, harassing, or attacking Spurs fans,” Mayor Mamdani said in a post. “Knicks in 5.”<\/p>\n