Paced by an MVP effort from Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks reign atop the NBA for the first time in over five decades.
Welcome to New York … it’s been waiting for ‘ya, 53 years to be precise.
The opening chorus of Taylor Swift‘s ‘Welcome to New York’ could very well have been speaking to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, which was forged shortly after the New York Knicks won the 1973 NBA Championship. It will finally make its way to 7th and 8th Avenue this summer, as the Knicks are finally back on top thanks to a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs, cementing a 4-1 series victory in the best-of-seven NBA Finals set.
“Whatever you put in front of us, we’re going to find a way. Doesn’t matter,” captain and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson told ABC’s Lisa Salters after the final win. “We’re going to find a way every time we step on this court.”
How did the Knicks end the Association’s longest title drought? Three reasons immediately stand out …
Rose Gets Thorny
The “f’ them picks” strategy crossed coasts and playing surfaces.
Similar to the Los Angeles Rams’ sizable gambits to land Super Bowl-worthy talent, the Knicks burned through what stands as the most valuable form of NBA currency by trading a plethora of picks to reunite the franchise face, Brunson, with his friends and ex-Villanova collaborators Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart.
Rose was equally ruthless on the veteran front: another pick of the Wildcat litter, Donte DiVincenzo, was sacrificed alongside the previous franchise face Julius Randle in the name of acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns. Homegrown headliners RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were shipped north for the talents of OG Anunoby.
Rose, known for his exploits at the helm of representation firm CAA, was said to be hired as the Knicks’ head decision-maker for his knowledge in player relations. But his prowess in making the difficult … yet apparently necessary … choice with personnel ironically helped pave the way to a long-awaited trophy hoist.
NEW YORK KNICKS— NBA CHAMPIONS
For the first time in 53 years the Knicks have won the NBA Title! They defeat the Spurs 4-1 in the best of 7 series.
IF YOU ARE WITH THE KNICKS!#nbafinals #knicks #alwaysknicks pic.twitter.com/l9ej4A2waD
— Ballislife Bets (@BallislifeBets) June 14, 2026
Go Fourth
Anyone who whined that the Knicks’ run to the Finals was “too boring” was summarily silenced in the Finals.
While Brunson and Co. were granted extended siestas amidst blowout runs on the Eastern bracket, no one can say that this Finals victory wasn’t earned: the Knicks overcame 10-point deficits in each of the five Finals games, even narrowing the gap to four by the end of their lone loss in Game 3. The follow-up was overcoming the largest deficit in NBA Finals history, as a 29-point mountain was officially scaled when Anunoby put back a Brunson misfire under Madison Square Garden’s iconic roof.
Perhaps having learned from the heartbreak of recent trips (Saturday’s win no doubt caused Tyrese Haliburton to feel a great disturbance in The Force), the Knicks defined the concept of saving the best for last: Brunson scored 15 of his 43 points over the final dozen and joined some elite company in his cumulative playoff journey.
With a total of 148 points scored in the postseason fourth quarters this year, Brunson becomes just the sixth player to reach that output in two postseasons (since play-by-play data was first documented in 1997). What’s even more shocking is that Brunson needed only 89 field goal attempts to do it, the second-fewest with such a tally in that span (behind only the 87 Giannis Antetokounmpo’s title run had in 2021).
OG Anunoby can’t stop smiling as New York takes home their first NBA Championship in 53 years!
pic.twitter.com/bD8EbpVIBI
— NBA (@NBA) June 14, 2026
Depth Stars
Similar to the way their neighbors in Brooklyn finally prevailed at the WNBA level, the Knicks made sure to supply ample reinforcements behind their high-profile starters.
With Towns enduring foul trouble for a good part of Saturday night, the longest-tenured Knick, Mitchell Robinson, made sure that the clinching holiday remained in session, as his trademark physical style wore down San Antonio and forced them into uncomfortable shots that took away their size and grit advantages.
FROM NOW ON ADDRESS ME AS CHAMP!
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 14, 2026
Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson each had their respective moments to shine in the Finals stages, while Landry Shamet, kept on the roster only in the wake of Malcolm Brogdon‘s abrupt retirement, was a consistent source of clutch deep balls. Even buried pieces, Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan, were relied upon in the closing stages, granted entry to play defense when all was said and done.
The metropolitan second unit was perhaps a perfect metaphor for New York City itself: the big-name buildings and brightest lights unintentionally hog the attention. But without the men (and women) down below, the vibe and productivity grind to an absolute standstill.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Editor’s Pick
The post New York Schtick: 3 Reasons Why the Knicks Are NBA Champions appeared first on Ballislife.com.