New York · Wall Street · Fortune Technology
The Knicks’ playoff run that ended in a championship and parade is worth at least $380 million to New York City
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The Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C., James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, and the five boroughs of New York City were unified in 1898.
Key facts
- The 2026 NBA Finals averaged more than 20 million viewers on ABC/ESPN—the most-watched postseason since 1998—a national broadcast that doubled as a sustained advertisement for New York City
- The Earth formed 4.5 billion years ago, the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C., James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, and the five boroughs of New York City were unified in 1898
- The ’70 team got a reception at Gracie Mansion; the ’73 squad got a luncheon and a City Hall ceremony that drew roughly 2,000 people
- For when the Milwaukee Bucks won the championship in 2021, the entire NBA playoff run generated $57.6 million in economic activity for that city
Summary
When the team won titles in 1970 and 1973, then-Mayor John Lindsay passed on the downtown spectacle entirely. Thursday, the NYPD had announced that all viewing pens were full, more than two hours before the first float moved, with subway service suspended south of Canal Street to manage the crush. “The Knicks did not win for New York City,” he said. According to the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the Knicks’ post-season run generated an $380 million in economic activity during home games.