For more than half a century, New York waited for a Knicks championship. On Thursday, the drought ends in confetti and a trip down the Canyon of Heroes in what may be the largest parade in the city\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
The Knicks, NBA champions for the first time since 1973, will roll up Broadway in their first-ever ticker-tape parade in front of an audience that could number in the millions \u2014 and thousands may be turned away<\/a> if the viewing area reaches capacity, according to city officials.<\/p>\n Office workers are expected to toss thousands of pounds of shredded paper from their windows, showering the parade below in a New York tradition dating back more than 100 years. (More than 700 sanitation department workers will be on hand to sweep up afterward.)<\/p>\n By 6 a.m. Lower Manhattan was a seat of blue and orange as large crowds waited at security checkpoint lines that were moving slowly. The parade is set to begin at 10 a.m. near Bowling Green and head north toward a ceremony at City Hall, complete with a performance by Alicia Keys and a presentation of the key to the city.<\/p>\n Among those arriving early to secure a spot was 8-year-old Corie Jackson, who was most excited to see Jalen Brunson. She was joined by her dad and her older brother, all of whom woke up by 4:45 a.m. so they could secure a spot to watch. They were among the first in line to go through a checkpoint at Broad Street and Exchange Place.<\/p>\n The event will be heavily guarded. The NYPD has said it is deploying more than 10,000 officers, the largest force ever assigned to a planned event in the city, bigger even than New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The security detail includes heavy weapons teams, explosive-detection K-9s, drones, and aviation, highway and transit units. Elected officials including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul are among those expected to join the parade.<\/p>\n