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New Jersey Notebook: Move over football, New York Knicks victory parade the talk of town
A New York Knicks fan poses for a photograph before the New York Knicks Parade in New York City on June 18, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Football was put on the back burner as Local TV and radio shows took turns to hype up the parade, as if in competition with each other.
- Just like in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the rise of fuel prices brought about by the USA-Israel war with Iran is hurting Americans.
In New Jersey
The biggest and most inclusive World Cup, according to Fifa, is now just over a week old. The crowds have been phenomenal, and the football fever genuine. But football took a back seat in New York on Thursday as the city honoured its heroes, the New York Knicks, for winning the National Basketball Association crown for the first time in 53 years.
Traveling approximately 1.5 kilometres north along Broadway, the parade ended at Broadway and Chambers Street. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani then hosted a championship celebration at City Hall Plaza. Football was put on the back burner as Local TV and radio shows took turns to hype up the parade, as if in competition with each other. New York City Hall indeed was the place to be.
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Los Angeles turns to school buses to supplement public transport
The 69,650-seater Los Angeles Stadium, which is known to Americans as SoFi Stadium, will stage eight Fifa World Cup matches, including one quarter-final fixture.
In anticipation of the influx of thousands of visitors, Los Angeles Metro launched a “Hat Trick” plan which included hiring more than 100 school buses to supplement their own fleet to transport fans to and from the stadium on match days.
Direct buses run from many hubs in Los Angeles, and more than 10 regional transit agencies are helping move the fans. The Kenyan in me was reminded of Kenyan politicians who have mastered the art of ferrying political supporters to political rallies in school buses.
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High fuel prices hurting many Americans, just like in Kenya
Americans may be richer and with a much bigger economy, but just like in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the rise of fuel prices brought about by the USA-Israel war with Iran is hurting Americans.
Last I checked, a litre of petrol was retailing at Sh214 in Kenya. In USA, and New Jersey in particular, the price of regular petrol, known here as gasoline, has risen to $4.05 (about Sh582). This compares to about $2.90 (Sh376) and $3 (Sh389) before the US-Israel war with Iran began on February 28, 2026.
Like Kenyans, many Americans are unhappy with the increase in the price of petrol, and are waiting to show their displeasure with the government at the ballot box in midterm elections planned for November.
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