'No more bedtime until the series is over': LI parents letting kids stay up late to watch Knicks in NBA Finals
Saw Mill Elementary School sixth graders in North Bellmore donned Knicks gear to celebrate the team's historic Finals run. Credit: North Bellmore School District
This story was reported by Ada Carlston, Layla Duran and Darwin Yanes. It was written by Yanes.
For longtime Knicks fan Josh Sommer, a championship would mean the world to him — but it would be even better if his daughter was next to him to witness it.
Sommer, 36, of Dix Hills, said he let his 7-year-old daughter stay up past her 7:30 p.m. bedtime Wednesday to catch a glimpse of what could be a historic run for the Knickerbockers.
The young Knicks enthusiast caught the beginning of the game but went to bed around 9 p.m., sleeping in Sommer's childhood Patrick Ewing jersey.
The next morning, he said, "She came into my room and woke me up and was standing over me, asking what happened in the game. I told her that they won and her face lit up."
The last time the Knicks won an NBA title was 1973. With fans' excitement reaching a fever pitch, many parents are now weighing whether they should let their children stay up late for the 8:30 p.m. Finals games against the San Antonio Spurs.
Knicks fans at a championship watch party in Lindenhurst on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, joined by young Knicks supporters, signed a tongue-in-cheek executive order Monday temporarily repealing bedtimes in the city "so that kids of all ages can watch our team in the NBA Finals."
On Long Island, some parents interviewed Thursday agreed that the usual bedtime rules should not apply for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
"I have three daughters and I’m making them watch the games," said Michael Burns, 57, who was at Adventureland amusement park in East Farmingdale with his family. "I told the kids, even though we don’t live in New York City, we’re going to go by the mayor’s proclamation: No more bedtime until the series is over."
Henry Fernandez, 40, said he also let his son watch Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday.
"You could stay up now, don’t worry about it," he said he told his son. "It’s a Knicks game today."
Richard Quintanilla, 41, said his nephews, 11 and 17, stayed up late to watch the game on Wednesday — just like he did when he was young.
"It's cool they did the same thing I did when I was in high school," Quintanilla, wearing a Knicks hat, said during an interview in Farmingdale.
Megan Richards, at an outlet mall in Farmingdale on Thursday, had a slightly different take. She said if the game was on a school day, she might be against kids staying up late.
But, she added, if they keep up with their homework, she might reconsider.
'They were so pumped'
Some educators on Thursday said they were greeted with their share of droopy eyelids in the morning.
"Our kids were definitely a little extra sleepy this morning and some staff members looked a little extra tired. There’s definitely a couple more coffee runs this morning," said Merrick Avenue Middle School Principal Katelyn Dunn.
The Finals run, however, has given educators a chance to connect with their students, she said.
Whether it was conversations about Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns' defense or rival Victor Wembanyama’s shot-making ability, the Finals were the center of attention at the Merrick school on Thursday.
"It’s really great to see such common language and conversations, connections happening at this time of year," Dunn said.
The school held a Knicks spirit day before Game 1, with students dressed in blue and orange. Another one is planned for Game 3 on Monday.
Dunn said they've also had Knicks trivia during the morning announcements on game days and played the iconic anthem "Go NY Go."
"These are moments that you don’t really always get to experience as a fan," Dunn said.
Merrick Avenue Middle School students celebrated the Knicks’ Wednesday night win. Credit: Merrick Avenue Middle School/ Katelyn Dunn, Principal
Seaford middle school teacher Mike Milano, 50, said kids should be up watching the games.
"I think these kids need to appreciate what's going on right now," he said. "This is teamwork I haven't seen in 30 years of watching this franchise."
Milano said many of his sixth and seventh grade students stayed up to watch Wednesday's game.
Then on Thursday, he said, "We all got together and talked about the game, and they were so pumped. Everybody was wearing Knicks clothes."
Saw Mill Road Elementary School Principal Jeff Rosof said as part of spirit week, some students opted to make posters in support of the Knicks.
Rosof said he didn’t notice any increase in lateness or tired students but said there’s a lot of excitement around the North Bellmore building.
"It is fun to watch that through their eyes, of seeing a team be successful, seeing a community come together behind a team," Rosof said.
