The New York Knicks celebrated their long-awaited NBA Finals win with a parade on Thursday, and fans couldn’t help but notice a glaring mistake at City Hall.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration hung banners for each player on the team, showcasing their last names and jersey numbers — and fans quickly noticed that something was amiss. Dillon Jones, who wore number one for the Knicks this season, had the number 33 on his banner, which has been retired for 23 years in honor of Hall of Famer and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing.
Dillon Jones pic.twitter.com/Hmkp0fMwMC
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026
Pictures of each banner were posted by SportsNet New York on social media. Fans not present for the parade were stunned by the mistake associating Ewing’s legendary 33 with Jones, who has not worn the number since his preseason stint with the Washington Wizards last year.
That was the only time in Jones’ young career he wore the number, and didn’t wear it in a regular season game because he was cut by the Wizards before opening night.
Ewing’s number was retired by the Knicks in 2003 in honor of his Hall of Fame resume and his 15 years with the franchise. He was responsible for the Knicks’ championship appearances in 1994 but was injured, and he missed their last appearance in 1999.
Ewing was also in attendance for multiple of the Knicks’ playoff victories on their championship run, and sat court-side for the series-clinching Game 5.
Jones appeared in fewer than forty minutes of championship play in 2026, but is now a two-time NBA champion after playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. With the Thunder, Jones wore the number three.
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