Seeing Game 4 destruction, New York braces for a potential Knicks series win
New York City’s taxi drivers’ union is worried about the potential property destruction and violence that could follow a potential Knicks championship win. Several cities have dealt with lengthy cleanups and criminal charges as fans flooded streets in celebration, and for one city, a full-scale riot.
Celebrations have flooded social media, showing Knicks’ fans elated after each win, hoping the team can bring the championship trophy to New York City for the first time since 1973. The ruckus raised questions about how the city would fare through the NBA Finals, hopes for the San Antonio Spurs to make a comeback and a warning from the city’s taxi drivers’ union about destructive behavior.
“That’s our member behind the wheel,” the association wrote on X, sharing a video of fans destroying a cab. “He was pulled out of the cab and suffered shock and physical injury to his arm, back and head.”
The union noted drivers are New Yorkers as well, often watching the games while awaiting airport pick-ups, listening to radios during trips and surrounding live televisions at hotels. It didn’t immediately respond to Straight Arrow’s request for comment.
“When you see the yellow, do you not see the person behind the wheel,” the association wrote. “That’s someone’s spouse, child, parent or friend — a New Yorker.”
The NYPD told Straight Arrow over email that the Knicks’ run is exciting for many people throughout the city, but noted groups behaving recklessly. It said most of the disruptions happened between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, about two blocks east of Madison Square Garden.
Some of the incidents the NYPD considered disorderly conduct were shutting streets down just to pedestrian traffic, jumping on vehicles while people were inside, lighting fireworks in the middle of dense crowds, throwing objects and attempting to flip a taxi.
“In total, there were 56 people taken into custody, 15 were arrested and 41 were released with criminal court summonses,” the department wrote.
Charges ranged from assault of a police officer to reckless endangerment to trademark counterfeiting.
The Knicks lead the NBA Finals 3-1 against the San Antonio Spurs. They play next at San Antonio on Saturday night for Game 5. Games 6 and 7 are scheduled on an as-needed basis in Manhattan and San Antonio, respectively.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office didn’t immediately respond to Straight Arrow’s request for comment. He hasn’t yet commented on the cab driver’s car being totaled.
For cab drivers, the union wrote that drivers are in the streets to “make ends meet” and to get riders home safely in cabs that the drivers paid for.
“Drivers need safety on the job, both in the quiet moments of ordinary days and in the middle of public celebration,” the association wrote.
Maintaining the charm of Manhattan
The city’s police and sanitation departments each told Straight Arrow the goal ahead of all the games is to ensure fan and business safety around the city.
The NYPD said several restaurants and bars had lines out the door of fans wanting to get inside to enjoy the game, and assisted owners with staying open to accommodate the crowds. The department shared photos and videos of packed businesses, with some utilizing outdoor spaces to maintain overflow.
Joshua Goodman, public affairs deputy commissioner of the city’s sanitation department, told Straight Arrow in an email that the department has nearly 10,000 employees working all hours of the day, collecting 24 million pounds of material each day. For the Knicks, he noted the city uses current staff for cleanups.
For the post-game cleanup, Goodman said workers collected an additional 4,500 pounds of street debris altogether on June 3 and 5, 7,500 pounds on Monday and 4,500 pounds on Wednesday.
He noted workers follow plans used during the New Year’s Eve celebration in operating street sweepers and deploying staff in strategic locations to clear streets before morning rush-hour traffic.
“For the Knicks playoff games, the number was between 6 and 10 per game out of 10,000,” Goodman wrote.
Rowdy celebrations aren’t unique to NYC
Fans often flock to the streets of their home team to celebrate a big win. Police and city officials often warn residents against getting too rowdy and destroying property, but the problems have still persisted. In one city, it became a full-scale riot.
At Michigan State University, property damage isn’t unique to a title win. Students have often been documented trashing items and burning couches after the university’s football and basketball games.
One such instance was after Michigan State University’s football team beat the University of Michigan’s 37-33 in 2021. According to MLive, fans burned couches and other items as police watched. One incident escalated to tipping, and later totaling, a parked car with a University of Michigan bumper sticker. Students and alumni of both universities donated to the owner’s GoFundMe to replace the vehicle.
One of the most violent actions didn’t happen out of a win, but a loss — Vancouver fans after losing the 2011 Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins. The scene in downtown Vancouver quickly evolved into a full-scale riot with people setting vehicles ablaze, looting stores and having violent confrontations with police, British Columbia’s Ministry of Justice and Attorney General said in a 2016 report.
It required 928 officers to control the riot. A hospital in the riot zone had 250 emergency room visits, compared to 15 in another nearby hospital. The ministry said that 912 charges were filed between 2011 and 2014 against 246 adults and 54 youths.
“During the riot, there were 112 businesses damaged, 122 vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and 52 assaults were reported against civilians, police, and emergency personnel,” according to the report.
Philadelphia Eagles fans, who carry a reputation for their disposition, destroyed hotel awnings, flipped cars, toppled gardening and in some cases, tore down light poles after the team won the 2018 Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. The celebration was the centerpiece of The New York Times’ 2025 story examining why sports celebrations often turn unruly.
Being around other fans and enjoying the anonymity that comes with it can breed certain behaviors, psychologists told The Times.
“Many fans engage in this violence to demonstrate how much of a fan they are,” Dr. Jason Lanter, a Kutztown University psychology professor, told The Times.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
