NYC Knicks parade details: Mamdani urges fans to arrive early

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Monday that Knicks fans should plan to arrive at Thursday's ticker-tape parade as early as possible.

Mamdani said the 10 a.m. parade would start in Battery Park and head north through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall.

During appearances on NY1 and Hot 97, Mamdani said plans were still being finalized. He remained tight-lipped on guests or grand marshals for the parade, which is expected to deliver the keys to the city to the team at City Hall. The mayor appeared on a float with Knicks guard Jose Alvarado during Sunday's Puerto Rico Day parade.

Speaking at a city sign shop next to one of the "Champions Way" blue-and-orange street signs that will be going up along the route, Mamdani said the Knicks parade might be the largest parade in New York City history.

He suggested fans arrive two hours before the step-off but acknowledged that some paradegoers would arrive much earlier.

It is a bustling week for New York, as the World Cup hosts France vs. Senegal at 3 p.m. Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Mamdani urged anyone planning to watch the game to secure transportation and plan on using NJ Transit.

"Since the match is earlier in the afternoon, you may really feel the gridlock on the way back with traffic," Mamdani said.

Several World Cup watch parties are planned throughout the city, and the match will appear on 200 undisclosed city kiosks, Politico New York reported.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.