NYC Sanitation saw the internet clown a stolen Knicks-themed trash can and decided to flip the whole mess into a giveaway. The agency posted that it is giving away five real orange-and-blue litter baskets, telling New Yorkers there is “no need to Knick a basket” when they can e nter for a chance to win one instead. The focus keyphrase here is simple: Knicks trash can. It is weird, it is very New York, and somehow, it is now memorabilia.
No need to Knick a basket!
We are giving away five orange and blue litter baskets! These are the real deal.
Want a chance to win one? Enter here: https://t.co/uXMcKVm2Rt pic.twitter.com/bflnPDUoHr
— NYC Sanitation (@NYCSanitation) June 26, 2026
The giveaway follows a viral parade moment that went left fast. During the Knicks championship celebration, a woman was seen on video dumping garbage from a limited-edition orange-and-blue public trash can onto the street before walking off with the bin. The video has more than 7 million views, and additional posts showed the woman riding the subway with the basket.
The woman was identified in reports as Angie Baez, who worked as an executive director at JPMorgan Chase. The company fired Baez after reviewing the viral footage, while Chase told PEOPLE and WABC that “this employee is no longer with the company.” The city also said the basket was returned.
Then came the fines. NYC Sanitation said Baez was issued two summonses: $75 for littering and $100 for impeding DSNY operations. Those are the maximum fines allowed by law for first offenses.
Now DSNY is leaning into the joke while making the point clear: public baskets are not souvenirs. The agency’s own rules say litter baskets are for pedestrians’ light trash, not household or commercial waste, and misuse can bring fines up to $350.
So yes, New York turned a trash can scandal into a raffle. Only here does a sanitation bin go from street corner to viral trophy to city-backed giveaway in under a week.
