New Delhi:
Within hours of the New York Knicks winning the NBA championship after a gap of 53 years, celebrations across the city took a turn for the worse. A video showed gunshots being fired in Times Square, sending hundreds of revellers running for cover, while another showed the police recovering a loaded gun from an individual.
In a video that went viral, at least seven gunshots can be heard ringing near the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway in Times Square, which was among the key areas where a sea of fans congregated over many hours on Saturday night to celebrate the Knicks’ win. A 17-year-old boy sustained a gunshot injury and was rushed to the hospital in a police car as an ambulance could not get through the streets due to the crowds.
People were injured and property was damaged as celebrations reached a fever pitch and then turned into sheer commotion. Four people were also stabbed.
In another video, a few policeman overpowered a man at Times Square and recovered a loaded gun from him.
After the Knicks game on Saturday night, our officers spotted a man with a gun in a large crowd in Times Square.
They quickly tracked him down and recovered a loaded gun that was in his waistband.
This is how the NYPD showed up on Saturday night to keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/BIDJWHvueI
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 15, 2026
During the celebrations, people bashed police cars with bats, shattered windshields and set five school buses and five police vehicles on fire. Fights broke out, and fans climbed up lamp posts and traffic lights and lit fireworks amid crowds.
People destroyed school buses were being used to transport people from the city to the stadium for World Cup games. Some of them climbed onto the roofs of the buses, got inside and sat in the driving seats. One of the yellow school buses the city government hired to help transport soccer fans was set on fire, according to a Reuters who witnessed it in flames.
Ten police officers were injured, including one who was punched in the face and another who was struck with a glass bottle.
New York Police said 63 people were arrested, several charged with assault on a police officer, criminal possession of weapon and disorderly conduct.
Despite the scenes of disorder, the championship victory represented a landmark moment for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. The Knicks had not lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy since 1973 and had not even reached the NBA Finals since 1999. This was just their third appearance in the finals after losses in 1994 and 1999 – to the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, whom they defeated on Saturday night.
Tight security will remain in place when a parade will be held Thursday to celebrate the Knicks’ victory.
