The New York Knicks conducted their championship parade and celebration on Thursday after winning the 2026 NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs. During the parade portion, there was a hilarious moment where Tyler Kolek was partying with fans in attendance, and when he tried to get back on the buses, police thought he was a random fan trying to hang out with the team.
In the end, officers allowed Kolek through and the 25-year-old guard to re-join the Knicks’ celebration. Not long after the incident, Kolek laughed off the situation on social media with a seven-word post.
“I swear I’m on the team bro,” said Kolek with three laughing with tears emojis.
Jokes aside, the reason why he may have been unrecognized at first is due to his lack of playing time, especially in the playoffs. During the regular season, Kolek averaged 11.7 minutes per contest. His playing time dropped to 6.6 minutes per game in the postseason.
Tyler Kolek has been with the Knicks for two seasons since being selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. He made 62 appearances in the 2025-26 campaign with one start, averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the three-point line.
He didn’t play too much in the club’s championship run, as Kolek appeared in eight out of the 19 games played in the playoffs. When on the court in the postseason, the former Marquette star averaged 3.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He also owned a 44.0% free throw percentage in the postseason while hitting 44.4% of his three-point attempts.
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