The Knicks\u2019 championship celebration got cleared for takeoff.<\/p>\n
The Knicks party continued aboard the team\u2019s chartered Delta flight en route to New York hours after the team clinched its first championship in 53 years,<\/a> air traffic control audio revealed.<\/p>\n Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart pose with the Larry O\u2019Brien NBA Finals trophy on board their flight home. Instagram\/@jhart<\/p>\n Members of the Knicks deplane after arriving home from San Antonio. Courtesy of Delta Air Lines<\/p>\n Head coach Mike Brown is seen getting off the Delta flight Sunday morning. Instagram\/@showcase718<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if you can, tell those guys congratulations, enjoy the moment,\u201d an air traffic controller, who cleared the team for takeoff out of San Antonio, is heard saying in newly released audio.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOh, they\u2019re enjoying it back there; you probably can hear them,\u201d replied one of the pilots as the team\u2019s rowdy celebration can be heard in the background. \u201cThey\u2019re having a good time, we\u2019ll pass it on.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plane\u2019s rocking, they\u2019re having a party.\u201d<\/p>\n The air traffic controller added that he wanted to pass along the well wishes before all the players \u201cfell asleep,\u201d but the newly minted NBA champions chose celebration over slumber.<\/p>\n As the team approached Westchester County Airport hours later, the flight was cleared for a scenic view of New York City which included flying over the Verrazzano Bridge and up the Hudson River.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when another controller relayed a congratulatory message from all the local air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease let the guys know, New York TRACON, LaGuardia tower, Kennedy tower, maybe even Newark tower and Westchester tower, we\u2019re all running on about three or four hours of sleep but as happy as we could ever be,\u201d the controller said. \u201cCongrats.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey finally settled down about 30 minutes ago but before that, it was a pretty excited bunch back here,\u201d the pilot replied.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe we\u2019re all excited here, we\u2019re on our second box of coffee this morning,\u201d the controller added.<\/p>\n \u201cGo New York.\u201d<\/p>\n New Yorkers across the city celebrated the Knicks\u2019 win over the San Antonio Spurs all of Saturday night and into the wee hours of Sunday morning.<\/p>\n While there were 63 arrests<\/a> stemming from some violent celebrations, the city became a sea of orange-and-blue bliss <\/a>with some committing to naming their newborns after Knicks stars<\/a> and a bus driver dancing with fans.<\/a><\/p>\n A parade is set for Manhattan on Thursday.<\/p>\n The Knicks landed back in New York after a roughly four-hour flight and were quickly given a heroes\u2019 welcome<\/a>, and even received a water cannon salute on the tarmac after landing, according to Front Office Sports.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t