There’s a skinny line between tremendous fandom and flagrant infatuation.
New York Knicks nuts, nevertheless, know no bounds.
Robert Samuel, founding father of Identical Ole Line Dudes, a place-holding concierge, solely tells The Put up that diehards of the 2026 NBA Championship winners are hiring his workforce {of professional} line sitters — at $25 an hour — to spend the evening on the streets of Decrease Manhattan, securing their spot in line for the ticker-tape Knicks parade Thursday.
“My enterprise hasn’t seen this a lot pleasure over a sports activities occasion for the reason that New York Rangers have been within the Stanley Cup [in 2014],” mentioned Samuel, 50, whose cellphone’s been ringing continuous for the reason that Large Apple ballers thrashed the San Antonio Spurs Sunday, incomes the world title for the primary time in 53 years.
“That is nothing just like the Thanksgiving Day parade or New 12 months’s Eve in Occasions Sq., that are largely attended by vacationers,” mentioned Samuel of the thrill, with out revealing what number of purchasers have employed Dudes. “These are New Yorkers wanting to return out, rejoice New York’s workforce and take in each little bit of the enjoyment.”
For prime placements on the unprecedented parade, slated to begin at 10 a.m., determined Knicks devotees — some who’ve already spent over $20,000 on recreation tickets this season — are paying freelancers on Airtasker and TaskRabbit upwards of $750 to attend in line earlier than entry factors to the fête open up at 6 a.m.
Fanatics turning to Samuel for assist, he says, are getting the identical service at a fraction of the fee.
“I’m not charging a premium for the parade as a result of it’s not truly a vacation, although it appears like one,” defined the top honcho, who particularly will increase his asking value to $37.50 per hour for occasions tied to St. Patrick’s Day, Turkey Day and Christmas.
He didn’t even tack on surcharges when vacationers tapped him and his workers to attend in hours-long TSA strains at native airports throughout the Division of Homeland Safety shutdown this spring.
Samuel’s clientele, together with a sports activities zealot who’s requested a line sitter at midnight to start holding his spot for the parade, are shelling out roughly $125 in change for the tall order.
However, relatively than sleeping in till the hoopla commences mid-morning, Samuel says patrons should relieve his workers simply earlier than 6 a.m., taking cost of their spot alongside the parade route — beginning close to Battery Park and transferring up Broadway via the Canyon of Heroes to Metropolis Corridor, the place Mayor Zohran Mamdani will current the Knicks with Keys to the Metropolis.
Huge safety measures will likely be taken to make sure the protection of all attendees, together with greater than 10,000 New York Police Division officers, heavy weapons groups and explosive detection K9 models.
“For different parades and occasions, we’ve allowed prospects to order us an hour earlier than begin time,” mentioned Samuel. “However as a result of there’s a lot pleasure from locals planning to attend, it’d be too onerous for a shopper to first present up and take their spot at 10 a.m.”
Meaning purchasers should “wait the final 4 hours themselves,” added the entrepreneur, whereas confessing, “Some individuals aren’t actually feeling that.”
One uncompromising shopper, a voluptuary luxuriating on the 4 Seasons, needed Samuel and his workforce to save lots of her a spot proper exterior the five-star resort’s doorstep, permitting her to roll off the bed and into place because the athletes rolled down the road.
“However after I informed her she needed to come at 6 a.m., she was, like, ‘No!’”
Nonetheless, the line-sitting liege has acquired a deluge of “yeses” from Knicks disciples who don’t thoughts getting up and out the door for the good thing about skipping the road.
“This isn’t only a huge win for the Knicks as a workforce, it’s a win for New York,” mentioned Samuel, who’s additionally not too long ago waited in prolonged strains at Madison Sq. Backyard and Nike pop-up retailers on behalf of followers searching for hard-to-get merchandise, such because the Kobe 6 Protro Jalen Brunson sneakers for $190.
“There’s electrical energy within the air, and everybody desires to really feel it,” added the professional. “And we’re glad to assist make that occur.”
