Knicks Parade Banner Puts Dillon Jones Above Retired No. 33 at City Hall

Q: After a 53-year wait, how did a rookie's banner feature a legend's retired number at the Knicks' parade?

It happened because City Hall’s parade display appears to have used the wrong jersey number for rookie Dillon Jones, showing No. 33 instead of his actual Knicks number, No. 1. That mistake stood out immediately because No. 33 is not an active Knicks number. It was retired in 2003 for Patrick Ewing, one of the franchise’s most important players, making the banner a highly visible error on one of the biggest days in team history. The likely source of the mix-up is Jones’ earlier use of No. 33 outside his regular-season Knicks role. Reports noted that he had worn No. 33 during the 2024 Summer League and preseason with the Washington Wizards. But with the Knicks, his official number this season was No. 1, and he played only 39 minutes, which may have made him easier to misidentify during event production. So the rookie’s banner featured a legend’s retired number not because the Knicks reissued it, but because parade organizers or designers appear to have relied on outdated or incorrect player-number information. In a celebration marking the franchise’s first title in 53 years, the error was seen as a notable oversight, especially with Ewing closely tied to the team’s modern history and expected to be part of the festivities.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 18

City Hall banners for the Knicks' championship celebration mistakenly placed Dillon Jones' name above No. 33, the retired Patrick Ewing number hanging among player displays.
Jones played just 39 minutes for New York this season, wore No. 1 with the Knicks and did not appear in the playoffs, making the banner error especially conspicuous.
ESPN lists Jones as No. 33, but that number has been retired by the Knicks since 2003 for Ewing; reports said Jones only wore 33 in 2024 Summer League and Wizards preseason action.
The mistake surfaced as the Knicks paraded through Lower Manhattan for their first title celebration in 53 years, ending at City Hall before receiving keys to the city.