New Yorkers, from bartenders to teenagers to TV celebrities, turned the city orange and blue in an unusual but welcome sign of unity.
From spontaneous block parties in Brooklyn to official watch parties in parks and outside Madison Square Garden, the city transformed into a sea of orange and blue last week as New Yorkers rallied behind the Knicks on the road to an N.B.A. championship.
They screamed, danced and laughed, climbed on top of cars and buses, and dangled from stoplights. It was a citywide celebration. Even the Baklava Guy showed up with free delights.
Sports bring people together, and the Knicks channeled that energy in a city where unity isn’t exactly common. Detainees at Rikers Island had their own watch parties. People from every background, age group, race and ethnicity pushed aside differences for the shared cultural experience of cheering the Knicks on in the streets.
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After the Knicks lost in Game 3, it [was] “Knicks in five!”
And so it was.
And the entire city was there to witness it from the beginning.
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“It feels good because this is our team. It feels good for our city.”--Celina Patterson, 33
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“This feels like the most community I’ve felt in this city in a hot minute.”--Bleart Ademi, 19
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the games had brought everyone together.
...confident that the team would close out the series that night and loved how the games had brought everyone together.
“It’s never been like this.”-- Javier Moran, 19.