The point guard signed with the Knicks in July 2024
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Tyler-Kolek-13-of-the-New-York-Knicks-looks-on-during-the-New-York-Knicks-2026-Championship-Parade-061926-3-c682f4be65d047dbb6742f72b15792ee.jpg "Tyler Kolek #13 of the New York Knicks looks on during the New York Knicks 2026 Championship Parade and Ceremony")
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NEED TO KNOW
- Tyler Kolek was briefly stopped by police during the Knicks’ championship parade after being mistaken for a fan
- “I swear I’m on the team bro,” the point guard wrote on social media after the parade
- Kolek joined the Knicks in 2024 after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers, who drafted him 34th overall
Police briefly rained on Tyler Kolek's parade.
The New York Knicks point guard joined his championship-winning team on Thursday, June 18, for the lively, celebratory parade through New York City to commemorate the team's first NBA Finals win in 53 years. While walking alongside his teammates, Kolek, 25, was briefly stopped by police, who seemingly mistook him for a fan.
In a clip shared on social media, a beaming Kolek could be seen trotting alongside the parade barricade, where scores of fans enthusiastically extended their hands to high-five the point guard and congratulate him.
Credit: Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty
Trailing after him was someone who appeared to be a security guard, but a pair of cops reached Kolek first. In the clip, one could be seen shaking his head while speaking to Kolek, as if informing him he wasn't allowed to be on the parade route with the team.
Following the parade, a fan posted on X, "Security almost tackled Tyler Kolek lmao," to which the Knicks player responded, "I swear I'm on the team bro 😂😂😂."
Kolek signed with the Knicks in July 2024; he was initially selected by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 34th overall pick in the NBA Draft that year, but he was later traded to the Knicks soon after. The Knicks' championship win marks the completion of Kolek's second season with the team.
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The Knicks parade saw fans from all over — including longtime supporters Mariska Hargitay, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet — gather around Broadway to cheer on the home team. Fans arrived at the parade route several hours early following local authorities' warning that the parade was expected to draw massive crowds.
Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty
The parade started in Battery Park City and ended at City Hall, where NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and N.Y.C. Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave speeches commemorating the achievement.
On June 13, the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, 94-90, to clinch their first championship title since 1973.
