Knicks ceremony at City Hall is underway

The City Hall ceremony is starting now (watch a livestream of it here) with Knicks dancers, hosted by NBA announcer and Long Islander Mike Breen. The crowd is full of celebrities, among them Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Mariska Hargitay, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet. They are among Knicks alumni including Latrell Sprewell, Carmelo Anthony and Larry Johnson.

Breen introduced the Knicks as the team took the stage at City Hall, led by Jalen Brunson, owner James Dolan and Karl-Anthony Towns carrying the championship trophy, kissing it as he set it down at the podium.

Towns and Mikal Bridges traded a video camera as they shot footage of each other and hyped the City Hall crowd.

Avery Wilson, known as the scarecrow in the Broadway musical “The Wiz,” sang the national anthem ahead of Mayor Zohran Mamdani

“For 53 long years we have watched and we have waited,” Mamdani said. “For 53 years we have watched the Knicks and we have waited. The memory of Willis Reed winning the championship grew fainter and fainter.”

“We waited, not knowing if this day would ever come because we knew in our sick suffering hearts that it would,” Mamdani said. “New York City has had two of the most magical months any of us can ever remember. Over these past two weeks as the Knicks kept winning, our city came together. … What a gift it is to be brought together by pure, unfiltered joy. As long as we live, we will remember this city together, alive and overcome by happiness.”

Mamdani called Brunson “the new standard for greatness” and praised the grit and determination of the Knicks players, repeatedly citing the 0.4% chance the Knicks had to win and overcome a 29-point deficit in Game 4, in the largest NBA Finals comeback of all time.

“It’s what New Yorkers do when they’re told something is impossible,” Mamdani said. “We find a way and we win.”

Mamdani led a "Knicks in 5" chant.

“The Knicks did not just win for New York City. They win like New York City. What is New York but our backs against the wall,” Mamdani said. “This is our city, this is our team, for 53 years we watched, for 53 years we waited. Now, we’ve won.”

Knicks owner James Dolan thanked fans for waiting 53 years for a title, but noted many of the fans weren’t born yet when the Knicks last won the title in 1973. 

“If you’re a real Knicks fan, you know the history already,” Dolan said. “Thank you for supporting our team. We’re going to keep working to bring you better basketball. It’s hard to imagine anything better than this, but we will.”

Knicks president Leon Rose, who helped assemble the team, described the team as “the cardiac kids” who find a way to win.

Head coach Mike Brown took the stage, specifically thanking Patrick Ewing.

“The energy today in New York is off the charts,” Brown said. “This is New York City’s championship.”

The first-year head coach referenced training and working last year through the offseason. He said at the beginning of the year he asked all the players to sign a contract about sacrifice.

He also led a chant of the Baha Men song "Who Let the Dogs Out?"

“We had our ups and definitely had our downs and our group stayed connected through that time,” Brown said. “We all held each other accountable and that's why we won a championship"

NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson thanked the ownership and team staff.

“We really did it, dog,” Brunson said. “Somehow, some way, I knew we would find a way to get this done.”

He also thanked his family and the fans, noting they were tough critics.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.