Knicks mania turned destructive in New York City when fans celebrating in Times Square completely lost their minds.

What began as a raucous party following the team’s playoff success spiraled into a full fledged riot, leaving property destroyed and one school bus engulfed in flames.

Shocking videos all over social media captured the moment when mobs of people swarmed parked school buses, ripping them apart piece by piece.

Witnesses said the crowd had been celebrating for well over an hour before the chaos reached its breaking point and the flames began lighting up one of the most crowded corners of Manhattan.

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One bus became a total loss after fans reportedly set fire to clothing and tossed the burning pile inside.

While smoke poured from its windows, others continued dancing on top of the vehicle as if they were performing in a music video.

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Others jumped from hood to hood, laughing as chunks of metal peeled away from the school buses that serve New York’s children.

Many onlookers were horrified.

BREAKING: Rioters have begun setting the school buses ON FIRE in Times Square during the Knicks riots

Police do not have NEARLY ENOUGH SUPPORTMamdani and Hochul have ABSOLUTELY FAILED NYPD and law abiding New Yorkers pic.twitter.com/yMtwfvhvFa— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 14, 2026

Cell phone footage showed broken glass across the streets and beer bottles shattering on the pavement.

One frightened young man shouted, “I’m scared for my homies!” over the mayhem while horns blared and people screamed in every direction.

Even some of the partygoers seemed to realize how insane it had gotten.

A woman’s voice cut through the crowd yelling, “You know our taxpayer dollars go to public schools, right?”

Her comment barely registered as the mob kept wrecking whatever stood in reach.

Police say they finally moved in close to 2:30 in the morning after chaos had unfolded for well over an hour.

By that time the school bus was reduced to a twisted, burnt-out shell.

Despite the destruction, officers reported no immediate arrests.

The choice to hold off had locals questioning once again whether New York leadership has completely lost control of its streets.

The rampage reportedly began when a few people tore mirrors and grills from the parked trucks.

One shirtless man was seen ripping a grill clean off, slamming it on the ground, and stomping it into pieces while the crowd cheered him on.

Within minutes, dozens had joined him, feeding off the rage and energy of the mob.

Graffiti appeared across another bus that was tagged with “Let’s Go Knicks” and an obscene anti-ICE message.

The celebration that should have honored a basketball victory had turned into an anti-authority circus.

It was not about sports anymore; it was about an unhinged crowd testing how far it could go without consequences.

One bus owner tried to stop the destruction of his vehicle.

“This is coming out of my check!” he pleaded with the mob, desperately standing in front of his bus like a human shield.

His attempt at reason was nearly drowned out by chants of “Knicks! Knicks!” echoing down 42nd Street.

The chaotic crowd barely noticed his desperation.

WATCH: School Bus driver attempts to defend his bus from unruly crowd

"It's coming out of my paycheck!" Driver Screams As Crows DESTROY School Bus Smashing it in TSQ after Knicks WIN pic.twitter.com/bhCftrclFI— Oliya Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) June 14, 2026

Witnesses say the entire ordeal mirrored the disorder that has plagued New York as city leadership bends to so-called “soft on crime” priorities.

It was another scene from the post-law-and-order era where mobs turn property damage into sport while police hover on the sideline waiting for political clearance to act.

Times Square, long considered the city’s heartbeat, looked more like a postgame war zone than a tourist attraction.

The crowds had left behind twisted metal, broken glass, graffiti, and burn marks along a stretch of the city’s busiest avenue.

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For shop owners and workers who cleaned up Sunday morning, there was little sense of celebration left.

Local business owners expressed frustration with how long it took the city to respond, saying the vandalism was predictable and preventable.

Residents, still scarred from years of increasing street chaos, said the Knicks’ success should have been a bright spot instead of another excuse for lawlessness.

Once again, New Yorkers found themselves asking what happened to basic accountability.

A group of basketball fans turned a joyous night into a destructive free-for-all while police stood by “monitoring the situation.”

For a city already struggling with public safety, that explanation only raises more questions.

The frightening truth is that this episode was not just about basketball; it symbolized the collapse of civic order and respect for property.

Sports pride somehow translated into vandalism and fire, which says plenty about the cultural condition rotting America’s largest city from within.

When school buses that carry children are burned in celebration, and city officials scramble to downplay the chaos, it says everything about priorities in modern liberal New York.

The fans moved on.

The city will foot the bill.

And leadership will keep avoiding the truth that the crowd was not celebrating, it was simply getting away with it.

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