At 1.30am on Sunday, 600 New York Knicks fans packed into a sports bar opposite Victoria Station, drinking espresso martinis and Red Bulls while bartenders in “Always Knicks” T-shirts served drinks. The bar, Greenwood Sports Pub & Kitchen, usually closes at 11pm – but it stayed open until 5am so supporters could watch the fifth game of the NBA finals. The Knicks were playing the San Antonio Spurs in Texas. If they won, it would be their first championship in 53 years.
They won, 94-90. The BBC called it “the greatest day of my life” for fans. Prince Harry was in the stands in San Antonio. In New York, however, the celebrations turned chaotic. More than 60 people were arrested, multiple NYPD officers were assaulted, a firearm was recovered, five school buses were burned, and gunshots and burning vehicles were reported around 42nd Street and Broadway. Fans clashed with police, smashed windshields and mounted lightpoles.
“600 Knicks fans in a London bar celebrated their first NBA title in 53 years as chaos erupted in New York.”
The chaos came as thousands of World Cup fans also poured into the streets after the Morocco-Brazil match at New York-New Jersey Stadium. The Knicks’ victory run coincided with the tournament.
Back in London, Claire, a Welsh Knicks fan, had travelled from Anglesey with her wife, Lindsay, to watch the game. They had seen Thursday’s game at home, when the Knicks reversed a 29-point deficit to achieve the biggest comeback in NBA finals history. “We both had work the next day and woke the neighbours up with our screaming at 5am. It was worth it,” Claire said.
The bar was almost full by 11.30pm, half an hour before normal closing time. Fans danced to “Empire State of Mind”, “Jenny from the Block” and “American Girl”. Jennifer Lopez, watching from home, posted a video of herself jumping and cheering. “I remember the last time the Knicks were making a run for the championship,” she said. “Thank you for uniting our city again… for uniting the world.”
For the British fans in the bar, many of whom had followed the team for years, the loyalty was born of random chance and late-night viewing. “It takes a certain delusional stamina to stay up until 5am watching your team nearly lose in a country that doesn’t care,” observed one report from the night.
As the final buzzer sounded in San Antonio, the Knicks had finally ended a drought that stretched back to 1973. For the fans in London, the wait was over – even if the sun was about to come up.