World Cup bus set alight as Knicks victory celebrations turn ugly in NY
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• 63 arrested as tens of thousands flood Midtown Manhattan after team’s first NBA championship win in 53 years
• Mayor Mamdani announces championship parade for 18th
NEW YORK: Midtown Manhattan witnessed chaotic scenes late on Saturday, with shuttle buses set ablaze and a teenager suffering a gunshot wound, as police arrested 63 people overnight after unruly crowds flooded the area to celebrate the New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years.
A 17-year-old was shot in the foot, four people were stabbed and 10 police officers were injured during the chaos. Police said one officer was punched in the face and another was struck with a glass bottle.
The celebrations erupted after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Texas to win Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Fans spilled out of packed bars and outdoor venues, chanting “Knicks in five!” to mark the franchise’s first title since 1973.
The revelry coincided with the first FIFA World Cup match at MetLife Stadium in neighbouring New Jersey. Hundreds of young people in Times Square swarmed a convoy of about 15 yellow school buses hired by the city government to transport soccer fans from the draw between Brazil and Morocco.
Crowds climbed onto the roofs of the buses, got inside and sat in the driving seats. Supporters of the Brazilian soccer team joined Knicks fans on the roof of a bus, waving their national flag.
Five school buses were set on fire or destroyed, and five police vehicles were severely damaged by people bashing them with baseball bats and shattering windshields, authorities said. Several private cars were also damaged.
The 17-year-old who was shot near Times Square around 2am was taken to a hospital in a police car because an ambulance could not navigate the jam-packed streets. A New York Police Department spokesperson said three persons of interest were in custody.
“They are expressing their happiness, a little bit violently, but it is what it is,” said Youssef Sabbr, a 49-year-old Canadian of Moroccan descent who got off one of the World Cup buses before it was surrounded. “That’s what happens everywhere around the world when a team wins.”
Fights broke out as jubilant fans played drums, hugged each other, climbed scaffolding and traffic lights, and lit fireworks amid the crowds. After holding back for about two hours, police fenced off some streets.
Officers in riot gear moved in to chase fans, while officers on horseback pushed crowds back to clear the area around Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home court.
Those arrested face charges including assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon and disorderly conduct. Carol Marino, a real estate agent from New York in her 50s, took a breather on a sidewalk after watching the game in a bar.
“Oh my God. It’s like New Year’s Eve times 20,” Marino said.
Dean and Christina Smiros said they have been Knicks fans all their lives and were happy to see their team win a title in their lifetime.
“They have not won since before we were born,” Christina Smiros said.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that a parade will be held on Thursday to celebrate the Knicks’ victory.
Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026
