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A Champion All the Same
Kolek took the whole thing in stride. He posted parade footage on Instagram throughout the day, showing off the staggering crowd from his vantage point on the float and joking about his newly earned championship ring. “This is my real trophy right here,” he said at one point, apparently holding his ring up to the camera.
Whatever his role in the postseason run, Kolek is a champion — and after Thursday, arguably the most recognizable backup on the Knicks roster, at least among NYPD officers. His name recognition problem, it’s safe to say, has now been solved.
One moment of mistaken identity, one perfectly timed social media post, and Tyler Kolek became the unlikely human face of a parade that New York City will be talking about for generations.