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The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, and the action isn’t just at Madison Square Garden. All across New York, some of the state’s most famous landmarks have traded their usual looks for a bold splash of blue and orange, turning the city into a love letter to the Knicks.
The phenomenon is hard to miss. Following the Knicks’ Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Governor Kathy Hochul directed 15 New York State landmarks to light up in the team’s colors, declaring that “New Yorkers are fired up” as the franchise chases its first championship since 1973.
One World Trade Center is helping lead the charge as its crown has become a blue-and-orange beacon above Lower Manhattan. In Midtown, the colors are taking over, too: Grand Central’s Pershing Square Viaduct, Moynihan Train Hall, and the East End Gateway at Penn Station have welcomed commuters with rays of Knicks colors. Even the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse, a Gothic Revival structure that’s been keeping watch since 1872, has beamed in solidarity.
BASKET-NBA-FINALS-KNICKS-SPURS-FANS
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One World Trade Center lit up its spire.
The light show isn’t just in the city, either. Niagara Falls has cascaded in blue and orange, and landmarks from the H. Carl McCall SUNY Building to the Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal became part of the Knicks-themed light show.
Several of New York’s major bridges have also joined in. The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, the Kosciuszko Bridge, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge have sported blue-and-orange makeovers, their LED systems transforming them into symbols of team pride.
The Empire State Building is one of the most noticeable tributes. Even though it wasn’t included in the governor’s list of state-owned sites, the privately owned skyscraper illuminated its famous lights in blue and orange. After Game 1, thousands of fans gathered outside Madison Square Garden under the glowing tower to celebrate the win.
New York Knicks Fans Gather To Watch Game Three Of The NBA Finals Against San Antonio Spurs
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The Empire State Building provided a Knicks-themed backdrop for fans who attended a Game 3 watch party at Bryant Park.
State-owned sites light up at the governor’s command for major civic moments, while privately owned icons like the Empire State Building call their own shots through internal lighting programs. But together, they’ve created a moment of unity, dressing some of its greatest landmarks in a bright blue-and-orange uniform.
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Brea Cubit is an award-winning journalist who covers culture, entertainment, fashion, business, and more. When she’s not writing and editing, she enjoys listening to live music, binge-watching nostalgic TV, and shopping at artisan markets.