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\n\tIn the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, millions of New Yorkers finally realized their dream of watching the Knicks win the NBA Championship. And on Thursday (June 18), many of them took to the streets to witness the city\u2019s parade celebrating that feat, the finale of which was Alicia Keys<\/a> singing NYC anthem \u201cEmpire State of Mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAfter a series of floats carrying Knicks team members, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and celebrity fans of the team such as Timothee Chalamet, Mariska Hargitay and Fat Joe, the 17-time Grammy winner took the stage at City Hall in a leathery black jacket with studs recreating the Knicks logo.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThis is our time, we are champions!\u201d she cheered, getting the crowd hyped before crooning a few lines of Billy Joel\u2019s \u201cNew York State of Mind,\u201d accompanied by her son Egypt on piano.<\/p>\n \n\tKeys then took his place behind the, well, keys, as the instantly recognizable drum pattern for \u201cEmpire State of Mind\u201d \u2014 her collab with Jay-Z that topped the Billboard Hot 100<\/a> for five weeks in 2009 \u2014 rang out, earning ecstatic cheers of recognition from the attendees. As Mamdani, Knicks MVP Jalen Brunson and his teammates sang and danced along with their championship trophy gleaming on a table nearby, Keys belted out her iconic lyrics: \u201cNow you\u2019re in New York\/ These streets will make you feel brand new\/ Big lights will inspire you\/ Let\u2019s hear it for New York.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAre we the champions or what?\u201d Keys cheered after wrapping up the song. \u201cCongrats, New York City!\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe performance comes five days after the Knicks proved victorious in game five against the San Antonio Spurs, securing New York\u2019s first championship title since 1973. For hours after the win, \u201cEmpire State of Mind\u201d could be heard blasting in the city\u2019s packed streets as countless residents celebrated the triumph outside.<\/p>\n \n\tShortly after the game\u2019s end, Mamdani announced that his office would host the parade commemorating the Knicks\u2019 achievement. \u201cParade. Thursday. Manhattan,\u201d he wrote simply on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n