Lifelong Fans Celebrate Knicks’ Championship 53 Years Later

Doug Bertinelli and Pat Hannafin share a friendship that spans over five decades, beginning in 1969 when they met as middle-schoolers and basketball teammates at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church on Staten Island. Their bond strengthened through a shared love for basketball, with memorable moments like their team’s championship win in the first season and an unforgettable night spent outside Madison Square Garden to secure tickets for the Knicks’ victory.

By 1973, as high school seniors, Bertinelli and Hannafin witnessed the Knicks clinch another NBA championship. Funding the experience through Bertinelli’s part-time grocery job, they attended the game and celebrated with a banner crafted from a bedsheet by Hannafin. Although the Knicks’ success dwindled in subsequent years, the two friends never stopped supporting the team.

On a recent Thursday, the pair reclaimed their cherished banner for the Knicks’ latest triumph. The ticker-tape parade marked a nostalgic milestone for Bertinelli, now 71, and Hannafin, 70, who both retired from the New York City Sanitation Department and experienced a generation of Knicks fans in their own families.

Hannafin, a devoted New York sports enthusiast, became well-known for his signs at games and as a collector of memorabilia. Bertinelli was unsurprised to discover Hannafin had preserved the 53-year-old banner. Living in Barnegat, N.J., Bertinelli made the trip to Staten Island to relive memories and watch a Knicks game, recalling, “It was like old times. Even though they lost, we ordered pizza.”

The two attended St. Peter’s Boys High School before starting different jobs with the Sanitation Department, where Hannafin worked the Manhattan morning shift and Bertinelli became a supervisor on Staten Island. Their daughters were born just days apart, solidifying their enduring friendship, which extended to work routes and familiar routines.

In an age of cellphones, Hannafin remains attached to his traditional home phone, with Bertinelli knowing the number by heart. Their recent adventure included taking the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan, reminiscent of their teenage years when finals tickets were more accessible.

Hannafin described reclaiming the banner as “the highlight” of the celebration, and Bertinelli readily made the journey back to Staten Island for the parade. Though distance restricts frequent visits, their connection remains strong, an enduring testament to their friendship and shared affinity for the Knicks, even 53 years later.