Knicks fans send NYC into chaos after franchise reaches first NBA Finals since 1999: ‘

Knicks fans completely took over New York City after the franchise returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

The New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night with a 130-93 victory to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks beat Cleveland in the first round and never looked back.

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As predicted, Knicks fans took to the streets of New York City on Memorial Day to celebrate their first Finals berth since 1999.

Videos came from Manhattan intersections, bars outside Madison Square Garden and loud chants of “WE WANT WEMBY” outside MSG.

Fans carried brooms through the streets of Manhattan in anticipation of the Cavaliers’ sweep, climbing over traffic lights when NYPD officers ordered them off and unleashing the kind of basketball pandemonium NYC has been waiting decades to experience.

Even Radio City Music Hall erupted into Knicks chants as the entire city lost its mind on Monday night.

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For two and a half decades, the Knicks have been largely active as the NBA’s perennial powerhouse, talked about and rarely dangerous.

Madison Square Garden remained packed, celebrities still filled the base and the fans never disappeared, but the Knicks lived on in history.

Knicks fans celebrate in New York City after the team won the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 25, 2026. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Fans who grew up in the 1990s and beyond knew more about Patrick Ewing, John Starks and the Knicks’ devastating playoff battles with Michael Jordan’s Bulls, Reggie Miller’s Pacers and Pat Riley’s Heat than their actual postseason success.

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What followed were years of failed seasons and false hope.

There was Stephon Marbury, the years of Isiah Thomas and the short window of Carmelo Anthony, but the Knicks still couldn’t break through.

Knicks star Jalen Brunson transformed the franchise’s ownership and gave New York the closeness it had spent years chasing.

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Karl-Anthony Towns has improved the defense every season after season, and Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby have helped turn the Knicks into one of the league’s worst teams.

Success did not happen overnight. Knicks team president Leon Rose doubled down after New York lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games during the 2025 offseason, making the controversial decision to move on from Tom Thibodeau and hire Mike Brown.

Many viewed the coaching change as a dangerous pivot that could backfire. Instead, Brown turned the Knicks into a legitimate Finals threat.

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After surviving a tough six-game series against Atlanta in the opening round, including an early 2-1 deficit, New York rolled past Philadelphia and ran into Cleveland.

Knicks fans celebrate winning the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York City on May 25, 2026. The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Cleveland folded early Monday morning.

Now, New York is preparing for a potential round with the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder or Victor Wembanyama’s resurgent San Antonio Spurs.

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The Knicks and the turmoil surrounding them could be the story of the NBA Finals.

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