New York Knicks, the NBA champions, have sparked a city-wide celebration frenzy following their victory, with even street garbage cans unexpectedly becoming hot items for fans to snap pictures with and collect as souvenirs. To keep the joy of winning alive and discourage people from taking away public street facilities, the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) announced on June 26 that they will randomly select 5 lucky fans to receive Knicks-themed commemorative garbage cans for free, allowing fans to legally bring home championship memories without the need to “snatch a bin”.
The event, dubbed “No Need to ‘Knock’ a Bin!” by DSNY, cleverly plays on the pronunciation similarity between “nick” (to steal) and “Knicks”. The press release humorously kicks off with basketball terminology: “Stealing is a technical foul, but winning a full-size garbage can through a lucky draw is a slam dunk victory for all New Yorkers.”
DSNY Commissioner Gregory Anderson jokingly remarked, “There’s no need to take the garbage cans off the streets. DSNY is thrilled to give away 5 brand-new garbage cans to lucky Knicks fans. Sign up online today and continue celebrating our championship team – as for ‘dumping trash cans’, leave it to the ‘New York’s Strongest Sanitation Team’.”
According to the rules, all New York City residents aged 18 and above are eligible to participate, with one entry allowed per person. Registration must be completed online by 5:00 PM on July 3, providing name, email, address, and contact number, and agreeing to receive DSNY email information. Winners will be announced later this summer and must personally pick up the approximately 30-pound (around 13.6 kg) commemorative garbage can in Lower Manhattan.
The garbage cans being given away this time are identical in style to the ones currently used on New York City streets, standing about 28 inches tall and with a bucket mouth diameter of 21.5 inches, deemed as the “official street edition”. Additionally, the New York brand Only NY has simultaneously launched a 15-inch kitchen trash can and a 4.25-inch commemorative pen holder in the same color scheme, providing fans with more collectible options.
Those interested in participating in the prize draw can visit on.nyc.gov/basketgiveaway to sign up.