A New York Knicks star suffered an awkward moment when he had a run-in with the NYPD during the team’s championship parade.
The Knicks were joined by a host of WAGs, celebrities and Mayor Zohran Mamdani as they celebrated their first NBA Championship in 53 years with an open-top bus parade throughout the streets in Manhattan.
The streets were packed with thousands of Knick fans, painting Broadway in a sea of blue and orange as they clamored for a glimpse of their favorite players.
However, it appears one player didn’t quite boast the same starpower as he was mistaken for one of the overexcited fans.
Tyler Kolek had exited the team’s bus to soak up the atmosphere with the fans on the ground.
The 25-year-old was running along the parade route and high-fiving fans while clutching a Michelob Ultra in one hand.
Tyler Kolek ran along the parade route, high-fiving fans while clutching a Michelob Ultra
The guard was stopped and grabbed by two police officers who mistook him for a fan
He made it past a number of stunned officers patrolling the parade before two cops stopped him and grabbed him.
One officer was seen shaking his head, appearing to say ‘no,’ while another turned him around and pointed for him to leave the area.
A man in a ‘New York or Nowhere’ t-shirt quickly intervened to calm the rising tensions, explaining to the officers that Kolek was in fact a Knicks player.
They eventually released him and sent him on his way. Kolek looked far from impressed, appearing to shout something back at the officers as he continued his jog through the streets.
Kolek later poked fun at the incident on social media, posting on X: ‘I swear I’m on the team bro.’
At one point during the parade, Kolek went live on Instagram, showing himself holding the Knicks’ NBA Cup trophy that they won after defeating the Spurs 124-113 in the league’s mid-season tournament in December.
‘This my real trophy right here. Y’all got that one I got this one,’ Kolek told Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who was named MVP of the NBA Finals, referring to the Larry O’Brien championship trophy.
Kolek did not appear in any of the Knicks’ five Finals games against the San Antonio Spurs, which they won 4-1 to claim the championship.
The 25-year-old is pictured wildly celebrating atop the Knicks’ open-top bus
His most recent appearance was in the fourth quarter of Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
He played in 62 regular season games for the Knicks this season, making another eight appearances in the postseason.
Kolek was drafted out of Marquette by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He was acquired by the Knicks in a draft night trade, spending the 2024-25 season with the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G-League affiliate team.
