From spontaneous block parties in Brooklyn to official watch parties in parks and outside Madison Square Garden, the city transformed into a sea of orange and blue last week as New Yorkers rallied behind the Knicks on the road to an N.B.A. championship.
They screamed, danced and laughed, climbed on top of cars and buses, and dangled from stoplights. It was a citywide celebration. Even the Baklava Guy showed up with free delights.
Sports bring people together, and the Knicks channeled that energy in a city where unity isn’t exactly common. Detainees at Rikers Island had their own watch parties. People from every background, age group, race and ethnicity pushed aside differences for the shared cultural experience of cheering the Knicks on in the streets.
Kim Campbell was among them. Ms. Campbell, 27, who works in hair and makeup, came up with her own glam for Game 3 of the N.B.A. finals to go with a bedazzled wristwatch and inches-long nails.
“I’m a New Yorker — it’s our summer right now, and I’m outside,” she said. “Falling off of stuff, screaming — I love it.”
Ms. Campbell, who was outside the Garden, noted that people around her had come with brooms and dustpans, ready for a sweep. At that point, the chant was still “Knicks in four!” After the Knicks lost in Game 3, it evolved to “Knicks in five!”
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