In the concrete jungle where dreams are born, millions of New Yorkers finally realized their dream of watching the Knicks win the NBA Championship. And on Thursday (June 18), many people took to the streets to watch the city’s parade celebrate the feat, culminating with Alicia Keys singing the New York City song “Empire State of Mind.”
After a series of floats carrying Knicks team members, Mayor Zoran Mamdani, and the team’s celebrity fans, including Timothée Chalamet, Mariska Hargitay and Fat Joe, the 17-time Grammy Award winner took to the City Hall stage wearing a leather-like black jacket with studs that recreated the Knicks logo.
“This is our time, we are the champions!” she cheered, rousing the crowd before belting out a few lines of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” accompanied by her son Egypt on piano.
Keys then took up his position behind him, and the instantly recognizable drum pattern of “Empire State of Mind” (a collaboration with Jay-Z that spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2009) rang out, drawing approving cheers from those in attendance. As Mamdani, Knicks MVP Jalen Brunson and their teammates sang and danced to a shiny championship trophy on a nearby table, Keys belted out the iconic lyrics: “Now you’re in New York/These streets make you feel brand new/Big lights inspire you/Let’s hear it for New York.”
“Are we the champions or what?” Keys cheered as the song ended. “Congratulations, New York City!”
The performance came five days after the Knicks won Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs to clinch New York’s first championship title since 1973. For hours after the victory, “Empire State of Mind” could be heard blaring through the city’s packed streets as countless residents celebrated outside.
Immediately after the game, Mamdani announced that he would host a parade in his office to commemorate the Knicks’ accomplishments. “Parade. Thursday. Manhattan,” he simply wrote to X.
Keys announced that she would be performing New York City’s theme song at the parade a few days later. “Yeah, how could I not do that?” she said in an Instagram video. “This is my city and the city is on fire. There’s so much love in the city. It’s crazy. We’re all coming together and it feels great. I’m excited.”
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