Knicks-Themed Trash Can Incident Draws Attention

Last week, the New York Knicks held a championship parade in Manhattan to celebrate their first title in over fifty years. Amid the festivities, Angie Baez became a viral sensation for taking a Knicks-themed trash can off the street.

Videos of Ms. Baez, 40, show her wearing Knicks attire as she emptied the trash can’s contents onto the street. Undeterred by onlookers and someone filming the incident, she took the can with her on the subway, smiling all the while.

On Wednesday morning, Ms. Baez returned the trash can, confirmed Vincent Gragnani, a spokesman for the New York City Department of Sanitation. She faced a $175 fine for littering and disrupting sanitation operations.

More significantly, Ms. Baez, who was once an executive director at JPMorgan Chase, is no longer with the firm, according to a company spokeswoman. Ms. Baez did not respond to requests for comment.

“It’s unfortunate the community of local pride is being overshadowed by one person’s actions,” said Meaghan Chillianis, COO of OnlyNY.

The controversy has sparked widespread discussion in tabloids and on social media, where her role in diversity programming drew particular attention.

The city sanitation department had placed several orange-and-blue bins along the parade route. This led fans to predict their swift removal, given the demand for official merchandise. The department reported no other cans were stolen.

After the trash can was returned, the sanitation department posted a social media photo featuring graphics that read “Welcome Back!” and “We Missed You!” The post received over 25,000 likes.

Smaller versions of the cans are available for sale at $168, said Mr. Gragnani. OnlyNY, which partnered with the department for the project, is selling both full-size and miniature cans, with the latter priced at $58.

Ms. Chillianis emphasized that the project was designed to honor sanitation workers who play a vital role during civic events and daily operations, rather than reacting to Ms. Baez’s viral incident.

The New York Police Department stated that it is not investigating the matter.