The celebrations after the New York Knicks' historic NBA title turned into serious riots in downtown Manhattan. A bus carrying fans of the 2026 World Cup was set on fire, and a 17-year-old youth suffered a gunshot wound, BTA reports. After the Knicks' triumph, which brought the club its first championship title in 53 years, thousands of fans filled the streets of New York. Tensions escalated around a convoy of about 15 buses in “Times Square“ carrying fans of Brazil and Morocco, who were returning home after the match between the two national teams from the 2026 World Cup.
According to Reuters, some of the gathered youth climbed onto the roofs of the buses, entered the vehicles and even took the drivers' seats. One of the yellow school buses was set on fire, and there is currently no information about injuries in the incident.
Fireworks, smoke bombs and pyrotechnics were used during the celebrations, and fans chanted “Knicks in five!“, a reference to the final series won with a 4:1 victory.
Around 2:00 a.m. local time, a 17-year-old boy was shot in the leg. A law enforcement official confirmed to Reuters that three suspects had been detained in connection with the incident.
“They celebrate a little more crudely, but that's the way it is. Things like this happen all over the world when a team wins a title,“ said Youssef Sabre, 49, a Canadian of Moroccan descent who was on one of the buses and managed to get off before it was surrounded by a crowd of basketball fans. He said the situation got out of control in a matter of minutes.