Tyler Kolek
Tyler Kolek

NEW YORK — New York Police Department officers briefly detained New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek during the team's NBA championship parade Thursday, mistaking the second-year player for a fan who had jumped the barricades along the route — a mix-up that quickly went viral as the city celebrated its first NBA title since 1973.

New York Knicks faithful know Tyler Kolek well. He's a beloved reserve who just finished his second NBA season as part of a Knicks team that won the franchise its first NBA championship since 1973. Although the 25-year-old Kolek started only one game during the 2025-26 campaign, he made 70 total appearances, including the playoffs, and notably scored 16 points in a Christmas Day win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

A couple of New York Police Department officers must not have been watching that magical comeback. They mistook Kolek for a fan who had jumped the barricades during the Knicks' NBA championship parade on Thursday.

Kolek, with his hair flowing out the back of a Knicks championship hat, excitedly high-fived a collection of elated fans along the parade route, as captured in video footage shared by ESPN's Kimberley A. Martin. That is, until he was briefly held up by NYPD officers. Kolek appeared to exasperatedly explain that he's a member of the team, not a fan. Another authorized member of the Knicks' parade came over to assist Kolek, and NYPD let the second-year guard go on his way.

Unsurprisingly, the mix-up has gone viral across social media, adding a lighthearted moment to what was otherwise a historic day for the franchise and its fanbase.

A Second Viral Moment From Instagram Live

The NYPD encounter wasn't the only clip of Kolek that circulated widely on social media Thursday. The other came from his own Instagram Live broadcast during the parade, in which he showed off a particular piece of hardware that held special significance for him.

"Y'all see this," Kolek said while gripping the NBA Cup on Instagram Live during the parade, as shown by SNY. "This is my real trophy right here."

Kolek went on to playfully direct the message toward NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, who appeared alongside him during the broadcast. "This is my real trophy right here," Kolek humorously reiterated, with Brunson now in frame. "Y'all got that one. I got this one."

A Historic Knicks Season

The lighthearted moments came amid a celebration of a genuinely historic season for the Knicks organization. The team became the first in league history to win both the NBA Cup and the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the same season. The NBA Cup is a midseason competition that was introduced in 2023.

Kolek's comment about his "real trophy" referenced his specific contribution to that NBA Cup triumph. Kolek didn't play against the San Antonio Spurs as New York authored its five-game series victory and won its first NBA Finals in 53 years; however, he did score 14 points in a NBA Cup championship victory over the Spurs back on December 16. The Knicks were full of come-from-behind victories this season, and they used another to dispatch the Spurs that night, perhaps a sign of what was to come months later.

Kolek's Path to New York

Kolek's journey to becoming a fixture in the Knicks' championship rotation followed an unconventional route to the franchise. Kolek, whom the Knicks traded for in 2024 after the Marquette product was drafted in the second round by the Portland Trail Blazers, has since carved out a meaningful role for himself within the team's deep rotation.

During the 2025-26 season, Kolek averaged 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.4 steals across 11.44 minutes per game, modest statistical contributions that nonetheless reflected his steady presence as a reserve guard within a roster built around star talent like Brunson.

A Role Player Who Embraced His Part in History

Part of what made this Knicks team special was that every player seemed to recognize and embrace their role. That includes Kolek, who, despite not playing in the NBA Finals, was very much a piece of the puzzle that ended the franchise's infamous NBA championship drought.

That sense of collective ownership over the title run was evident throughout Thursday's parade, with Kolek's enthusiasm on full display both in his interactions with fans along the route and in his playful banter with Brunson during the Instagram Live broadcast. For a franchise that had waited 53 years to once again claim the NBA Finals title, the celebration extended to every member of the roster — including a reserve guard who, for a brief moment, found himself on the wrong side of a police barricade during his own team's victory parade.

A Day of Celebration Across the City

Thursday's parade marked the culmination of a championship run that captivated New York for months, with the Knicks defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a five-game NBA Finals series to claim the franchise's first title since 1973. The celebration brought together players, coaches, and an enormous gathering of fans along the parade route, with moments of genuine connection between the team and its supporters — including the high-fives that ultimately led to Kolek's brief case of mistaken identity.

For a fanbase that has endured more than five decades without a championship to celebrate, Thursday's parade represented far more than a single afternoon of festivities. It served as a release valve for generations of accumulated frustration, and the spontaneous, unscripted moments — from Kolek's NYPD mix-up to his trophy-clutching Instagram broadcast — only added to the sense of joy and informality that defined the day's celebrations.

With the championship parade now complete and the offseason set to begin, attention around the Knicks organization will shift toward roster construction and the franchise's plans to build on its title-winning foundation. Team owner James Dolan has already indicated the Knicks will not move into the NBA's second luxury tax apron in an effort to keep the championship roster largely intact, signaling the organization's intent to pursue sustained contention rather than a single isolated title.

For Kolek specifically, Thursday's viral moments — both the NYPD encounter and his exuberant trophy-touting livestream — cemented his status as a fan-favorite figure within the locker room, even as questions about his long-term role on a deep and talented roster remain to be settled in the months ahead.

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