New Yorkers burn down their city to celebrate the Knicks - NY's most vital residents want out
New Yorkers are becoming afraid of the city they love. The uptick in vandalism, rioting, and violence over what should have been a celebration is proof that their fears are justified...
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In what should have been a time of celebration following the Knicks’ win, Mamdani’s New York City has responded to the team’s championship with a crime spree.
Last Thursday, a teenager fired shots in Times Square shortly after the conclusion of the Knick’s celebratory parade. The shooting scattered crowds, with tourists darting into nearby stores in an attempt to dodge bullets. Although no one was struck, one teenager was placed into custody. Just hours later, a second shooting took place just blocks away at 45th Street and Eighth Avenue. Police have also linked the chaotic scene to the stabbing of a 26-year old man. Although his neck was slashed amidst the fighting, he is expected to recover.
Millions of New Yorkers took to the streets to celebrate the Knicks win, including thousands of international travelers in town for the World Cup. While the police had an estimated 10,000 officers deployed in the area to prevent misconduct, it wasn’t enough to stop the city from running wild. In one video, Knicks fans were seen stealing trash cans that were painted blue and orange, dumping their contents out into the sidewalks. Another video showed people climbing street poles to perform sexually promiscuous acts before getting into physical altercations.
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Earlier in the week, the Knicks’ victory led to rioting and mob-like behavior. The crowd’s disorderly conduct led to “dozens of people arrested and at least 10 members of the NYPD injured.” Five school buses that had been chartered for World Cup transportation were destroyed, either from being set on fire or beaten with baseball bats. Rioters also climbed on top of vehicles parked nearby, jumping on them, smashing their windows, and causing significant damage. Others climbed onto traffic signs, light poles, and scaffolding, as police desperately tried to prevent the destruction of both public and private property. Police have stated that approximately 63 people were charged with offenses including assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, and disorderly conduct.
The Knicks win should have been a net positive for New York City. The team amassed huge support nationwide, giving the 2026 NBA Finals their highest viewership ratings since 1998, with a peak of 20.9 million viewers. Additionally, it was a prime opportunity for the city to see a spike in economic revenue. Estimates believe that the championship series may have generated as much as $465 million for the local economy. Local businesses including bars and restaurants saw their revenue spike as much as 60% on game nights, as both residents and visitors flocked to their favorite eateries.
Unfortunately, it is hard to justify these fiscal achievements when businesses, fans, and the entire city have to fear for their safety. The Knicks win didn’t lead to a sustained crime wave, but it showed New Yorkers’ willingness to riot, even amidst their city’s success. Those conditions are not conducive to a healthy, growing society. The temporary financial boost doesn’t offset long term issues, like the 5,000 NYC businesses that closed in 2025.
The result of these crime-fueled outbursts is that both citizens and businesses are leaving the city in droves. In recent years, retail chains such as Target, Walgreens, and CVS have each closed multiple of their New York City locations due to wide scale shoplifting and theft, which had frequently threatened the safety of both their employees and customers. After the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, several prominent New York companies echoed the sentiment that “Business leaders all take very personally what happened to Brian Thompson.” In May, the Wall Street private equity firm Apollo Global Management announced plans to open a headquarters outside of New York, partially due to employee safety concerns in New York.
Other New Yorkers report concerns about being mugged or robbed during their daily commute. Last year, only 42% of New York City residents rated their neighborhood safety as ‘good’, and the share of residents who felt safe walking alone at night dropped from 705 in 2017 to 59% in 2025. There has also been a drop in the percentage of people who feel safe riding the subway, and a 32.57% rise in total violent felonies on NYC transit systems.
New Yorkers are becoming afraid of the city they love. The uptick in vandalism, rioting, and violence over what should have been a celebration is proof that their fears are justified.
 | A guest post by
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For New York City, this is the 1970s redux. It took the hurculean efforts of two consecutive excellent mayors to bring the city out of it. But first Di Blasio and now Mamdani are plunging the city back into decay and despair. It's sad to have to watch this all over again, and to know that the city will need another two decades of good government to recover from it.
Isn’t communism great?