Knicks championship merch flies off shelves at MSG, NBA stores in NYC
By Andrew Ramos
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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — New York City was still rocking on Sunday, just hours after the Knicks completed one of the greatest championship runs the Tri-State Area has ever seen.
Fans were continuing to gear up for a week of celebrations that will culminate with a ticker-tape parade down the famed Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan on Thursday morning.
Mad dash for championship merch at NYC stores The line to get into the Knicks Team Store at MSG store was surreal, considering the lack of sleep many Knicks fans got Saturday night after the team’s historic NBA Finals Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The adrenaline was clearly still pumping throughout the city as the masses celebrated a feat 53 years in the making.
It was just a mere preview of the excitement and celebrations set to take place this week. The Big Apple is now preparing for what will be a massive victory parade.
“I need that championship shirt and the hat so I can go to my family members who are not Knicks fans’ houses this morning, right now, to rub it in their face,” one giddy fan said.
While everyone had their own personal agenda, the common thread outside the store on Sunday was hometown pride.
“I was born in 1973, so I’ve never seen a championship. So this is amazing,” one fan said.
Amazing would be one way to put it. Saturday night’s win sent fans at watch parties across the city over the moon and into the streets.
As a result, anything orange and blue is in high demand citywide. At the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue, Knicks merch flew off the shelves. It reported Sunday the jersey that has sold the most in the last 24 hours was, of course, that of Finals MVP Jalen Brunson.
“To experience it with my kids … that’s what I told them. They made history. It’s amazing,” lifelong fan Lissette Acuna said.
Sleep-deprived David Rosen was among the first in line.
“I want to get a piece of memorabilia so I could remember it for the rest of my life,” Rosen said. “Last night, I was screaming and screaming and when I got home the tears just started flowing.”
Knicks celebrate on the plane As the Knicks were about to take off from San Antonio for Westchester County Airport early Sunday morning, they were heard celebrating on the plane on air traffic controller audio.
“Tell those guys congratulations, enjoy the moment,” a controller says.
“They’re enjoying it back there. You probably can hear it. They’re having a good time. We’ll pass it on,” a pilot says.
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