These guys are winning in garbage time.
Five fortunate New Yorkers celebrated a big win on Friday, each receiving a Knicks-themed metal trash can. This comes after a JP Morgan executive lost her job for taking a similar bin during the team’s NBA Finals victory parade last month.
The city’s Sanitation Department selected the winners from an astounding 125,000 participants as part of the “No Need to Knick a Bin” contest.
“People are getting fired over these!” exclaimed winner Alfonso Bravo from Kingsbridge Heights after receiving the branded trash bin.
The winners were announced on Friday at a celebration held at the DSNY’s Upper West Side garage, where they were each awarded their prizes in front of an envious crowd.
The winners were chosen at random in the contest, which the DSNY initiated as a subtle jab at Angie Baez. Baez gained notoriety last month for taking a painted bin from the Knicks ticker tape parade route.
The JP Morgan executive was filmed emptying the trash can’s contents onto the street before hauling her new 30-pound trophy home via the subway.
“We all saw on video that they can be carried away, and I appreciate all of you who are about to do so with our permission,” stated DSNY Commissioner Gregory Anderson.
“May these baskets remind all New Yorkers that keeping our city clean is always in bounds. Trash belongs in a basket or a bin—not on the sidewalk.”
The winners included Bravo from the Bronx, Daniel LaVert from Brooklyn, Mia Manathan from Manhattan, Gabriela Manzanares from Queens, and Scott Simas from Staten Island’s Dongan Hills.
Each winner represented one borough, and the DSNY stressed that the only requirement was the ability to transport the 30-pound baskets from the Upper West Side office to their homes.
Being a fan of the Knicks was not a prerequisite.
“I’m more of an interior design fan than a sports fan. I love New York though, so it’s cool to celebrate with everyone and have this unique piece,” admitted LaVert, who is originally from Chicago and now resides in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
“I feel like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It’s like my golden ticket!” he added, noting he would use the bin for storage.
Manathan from East Harlem shared with The Post that she initially thought the DSNY’s notification was a “scam email” when she learned she had won.
“I’m just happy to have it. Wow, what a one-in-a-million chance of winning!” she said, contemplating where to place her prize.
“It’s a good conversation starter in a traditional New York City apartment. As you can imagine, I don’t live in a mansion, but what am I going to put in it?”
