Knicks Stars Brunson and Hart Throw First Pitches at Yankee Stadium During Championship Victory Tour

The New York Knicks continued their championship celebration Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, where guards Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart threw out ceremonial first pitches before the Yankees faced the Chicago White Sox. The appearance marked another milestone in the Knicks' victory tour following their first NBA championship since 1973. Brunson and Hart received a standing ovation and loud cheers as they took the field wearing Yankees pinstripes, with Brunson tossing to backup catcher J.C. Escarra and Hart throwing to utilityman Max Schuemann.

The first-pitch ceremony followed a busy week of media appearances by the Knicks players. On Monday, Brunson and Hart appeared on NBC's "The Today Show" and "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," while they joined teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby on ABC's "Good Morning America." Brunson threw out a first pitch for the second time since joining the Knicks, having previously done so at a Mets-Yankees game in July 2024 shortly after signing a four-year, $156.5 million contract. Hart has a notable connection to the Yankees organization—he is the great-nephew of Hall of Fame catcher Elston Howard, whose retired No. 32 jersey is honored in Monument Park.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised the Knicks' championship run, describing it as a captivating story of a team that came together with "a lot of grit, a lot of mental fortitude." The Knicks finished their postseason with a 16-3 record, matching the 2024 Boston Celtics for the second-best winning percentage since the best-of-seven format began in 2003, behind only the 2017 Golden State Warriors' 16-1 mark. Brunson led the charge, averaging 32.6 points in the five-game NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs and winning Finals MVP honors, including a 45-point performance in the clinching Game 5.

The Yankee Stadium ceremony occurred one day before the Knicks will be honored with a massive ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan on Thursday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani predicted the celebration could be "the largest parade in New York City history." This will mark the first championship parade for the Knicks since their titles in 1970 and 1973, when celebrations took place at the mayoral mansion and City Hall rather than with a public parade. The parade comes as recognition of the Knicks' remarkable postseason run, which included 13 consecutive wins, nine straight road victories, and a point differential of plus-283 against opponents.