After 53 years, New York Knicks fans can finally sing.
Cue Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.”
Dreams really have been made in the “concrete jungle.”
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For fans, it meant seeing their team raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time since 1973.
For Marquette, it meant having former Marquette basketball guard Tyler Kolek add “NBA champion” to his resume. He became the seventh player in program history to claim an NBA title behind Juan Toscano-Anderson with the Golden State Warriors in 2021-22.
For the rest of the Big East, it meant Villanova having three NCAA Champions becoming NBA Champions (Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges), and DePaul having shooting coach Peter Patton bring home a title.
For the Knicks, it meant history.
A 4-1 series win against the San Anotinio Spurs. But it didn’t come without letting fans breathe easily.
Game 1
The Knicks extended their playoff run to seven straight games on the road.
After three quarters, teams were tied at 76. Responses took away leads. The Spurs were up by 14, but that didn’t stop the intensity with which the New York played.
Finishing off the game on an 11-0 run, the Knicks became the first team to beat San Antonio in Game 1 of the championship series.
Final score: 105-95
NYK leads 1-0.
Game 2
The Knicks were up to eight straight wins on the road.
The Spurs were down 14 with 6:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. They came back. In fact, a free throw shot from Victor Wembanyama with 57 seconds remaining meant the Spurs’ first lead (104-102) in almost two full quarters.
Naturally, Brunson had the final say, scoring on the next possession. Wembanyama threw the ball away, Brunson got fouled, time outs were called.
A missed shot off the rim from Wembanyama and the Spurs were left winless on their home court.
Final score: 105-104
NYK leads 2-0.
Game 3
Air filled the lungs of Spurs’ fans and players alike, and a light at the end of the tunnel was finally shining through.
The Knicks’ 13-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA postseason history, was snapped. And it happened at home.
Wembanyama had redeemed himself from Game 2 with 32 points, six assists and eight rebounds. The Spurs were making it known that this championship title was not going to be handed to their opponent.
In a game of runs and cutting score deficits, the Knicks were left watching Stephon Castle throw up two made free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining. Two missed three-point shots by the Knicks meant the battle was on.
Final score: 115-111
NYK leads 2-1.
Game 4
Down by 29. Fans surely thought they’d be leaving without seeing a game won in New York.
They thought wrong.
The largest comeback in NBA Finals history, pulled off by this year’s champs. A tipped-in rebound by OG Anunoby, and everyone inside “The Mecca” was on their feet.
OG ANUNOBY WITH THE PUTBACK.
KNICKS COMPLETE THE 29-PT COMEBACK FOR THE WIN.
LARGEST COMEBACK IN NBA FINALS HISTORY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ZtWVWY6JsR
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2026
“I don’t know if there was a play bigger than (that) in the history of Knicks basketball,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
Final score: 107-106
NYK leads 3-1.
Game 5
San Antonio. The place where the series started and ended. It marked 10 playoff games won outside New York.
A 22-9 run in the second quarter cut the deficit to 5 at the half, and hope was not lost. Like most games during the series, the Knicks found a way back.
The gap grew smaller, and the Knicks were on the heels of the Spurs. With 4:48 remaining in gameplay, it was tied at 83. With 1:16 remaining, tied again at 88.
Free throws. The most basic shot taught to players who start out playing basketball. It made all the difference for the Knicks.
With an opportunity to make it a one-point game, Wembanyama missed a three-point shot with two seconds. Rebounded by Anunoby, the Knicks had done it.
45 points for Jalen Brunson, 47% of the team’s points. It was a masterclass act; no wonder he received the 2026 NBA Finals MVP award.
Final score: 94-90
Knicks win.
The Aftermath
Game 5 brought chaos to the city.
According to Fox 5 NY:
- NYPD made 63 arrests after large gatherings near Madison Square Garden broke out.
- Police reported a shooting, four slashings or stabbings, the burning of school buses and damaged NYPD vehicles.
- In total, 10 NYPD officers were injured.
According to The Athletic, Fanatics said the win has led to championship gear setting sales records for any sport. It doubled Fanatics’ last best-selling NBA Finals merchandise, which was when LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers clinch the title in 2020.
More than 300 championship-branded products were released to fans, and Fanatics took in more than 8,000 orders per minute after the win on Saturday night.
Sporting their gear, fans will be singing the song and the Knicks’ praises for a while.
And as Jay-Z sang, “Let’s hear it for New York.”
This article was written by Raquel Ruiz. She can be reached @[email protected] or on X @RaquelRuizMU.
