NYPD nearly tackles Knicks' Tyler Kolek after mistaking player for fan in championship parade mishap

On Thursday, the New York Knicks held their long-awaited NBA championship parade, but one player was accidentally mistaken for a fan in the process.

Backup point guard Tyler Kolek was celebrating with fans when an NYPD officer thought he was a fan and not a member of the team. Kolek played sparingly in the playoffs and, like many backups, was more along for the ride, but he did play key minutes over the course of the regular season.

This parade was so packed with fans that the NYPD deployed thousands of cops to make sure it remained organized. Therefore, the officers on duty were on high alert to make sure certain fans didn't ruin the parade for everyone else.

Here's a look at how Kolek was mistaken for a fan.

MORE: Best moments from the Knicks NBA championship parade.

NYPD almost tackles Tyler Kolek during Knicks parade

Tyler Kolek didn't play much for the Knicks in the playoffs, and apparently that means not everyone recognizes him as a member of the team. As Kolek was celebrating along the sidewalk with fans, one NYPD officer thought Kolek was a fan and not a player on the team.

Cops mistook Tyler Kolek for a fan 😩 #alwaysknicks pic.twitter.com/7LxI29zahb

Kolek acknowledged what happened on social media and said he had to remind the cop that he was, indeed, a Knick.

I swear I’m on the team bro 😂😂😂 https://t.co/7AJyNXAIfz

Since the NBA Finals games were so close, Kolek didn't play a single minute in the series, and he only came into playoff games when there was a blowout. However, during the regular season, Kolek provided quality depth and even played a bigger role in the team's NBA Cup title.