Brenden Willsch-Imagn Images
Most fans dropped thousands of dollars to watch the Knicks face off against the Spurs at Madison Square Garden for the NBA Finals. The team will celebrate its victory in that series with a parade on Thursday, and some people are also shelling out a significant chunk of money in order to have a spot reserved along the route.
The Knicks headed into the most recent season riding a title drought that spanned more than 50 years, and it had also been more than 25 years since they’d earned the right to compete in the NBA Finals.
Fans who were waiting for both of those streaks to come to an end saw their prayers answered, as the team went on a magical run en route to dispatching the Spurs in five games to win a title in a thrilling series where they pulled off the biggest comeback in the history of the Finals.
The cheapest tickets to attend games at Madison Square Garden during the last round rivaled the average rent payment, but many New Yorkers were more than happy to shell out thousands of dollars for the chance to experience the absolutely electric atmosphere inside MSG.
There will be a similar buzz in the city when the team makes its way through the Canyon of Heroes during the victory parade that will unfold on Thursday, and some fans have decided to pay other people to secure a prime vantage point without having to show up in the wee hours of the morning.
Knicks fans are dropping hundreds of dollars to have people stand on the sidewalk to save them a spot for the championship parade
Thursday’s parade will kick off at 10 A.M. at Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan and follow a route that will take the team along the section of Broadway known as the Canyon of Heroes before ending at City Hall for a ceremony slated for noon.
New York City officials expect more than 1 million people to attend the festivities, and there will undoubtedly be plenty of fans camping out to try to score a good spot when the access points that every attendee will be required to pass through open up at six in the morning.
The Big Apple has a thriving side hustle culture fueled by people who are willing to pay a premium for the sake of convenience. That includes dropping money to have someone stand in line for you, and more than a few fans are going that route for the parade.
As of Wednesday morning, Airtasker featured dozens of listings dedicated to preserving spots along the parade route, including one posted by a woman who was able to find a taker after offering to pay $750 to have three spots reserved. Someone else ponied up $800 to anyone willing to show up at midnight and hang around until 8 A.M., while a number of other fans are hoping $100 will get the job done.
What a world.