NEW YORK – The lines for the Knicks parade on Thursday in Manhattan were so long that some revelers couldn’t get near the celebration.

Cameron Marker arrived at the famed “Canyon of Heroes” in the heart of the city via Slate Hill, Grand Central Station, and an Uber. And somehow the 27-year-old got lucky. Marker and his friend found a spot close to the parade route.

Approximately two million people attended the parade to celebrate the Knicks’ first NBA title in 53 years, and many of them were from the Hudson Valley.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Marker said. The parade was magical. We were 30 feet from the players going by and in the middle of everything. To get to see the players was indescribable. It was the first championship in 53 years, and I had to go down to see it. I am glad that I did.”

During the parade, which ended at City Hall, the Knicks embraced the cheers from supporters who packed the streets along the way. Blue and orange confetti filled the air as fans repeatedly broke into chants of “Let’s go, Knicks!” and “Knicks in five!”

Crowds poured into lower Manhattan aboard packed subway trains. Fans lined the streets several blocks beyond the parade route, standing shoulder to shoulder, hoisting one another onto their shoulders and climbing traffic signals and sanitation trucks for a better view. Patrick Laffin, 19, of Pleasant Valley, attended the parade with a group of friends.

He didn’t get nearly as close to the parade as Marker, but it was still worth the trip to celebrate the NBA champions.

“Why not just check it out for fun?” Laffin said. “It was a cool experience, a lot of fun. We still saw a lot of the action, even if it was from a distance. Everyone was excited and getting along. It was a great day.”