The Knicks NBA championship season in one word: Epic

It was epic. 

The New York Knicks, with the most unique fan base in our market, waited more than half a century to win the franchise’s third NBA championship.

It’s their first title since 1973, when the likes of Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere were wearing the uniform. 

New Knicks legends

There have been some amazing players and moments since 1973, like Bernard King and Patrick Ewing, John Starks’ dunk over Michael Jordan in 1993, the 1994 Finals, Allan Houston’s buzzer-beater, and Larry Johnson’s four-point play in the run to the 1999 Finals. But none of it led to a title. 

There’s been a lot of heartbreak in between championships, too. No need to get into the gory details though, since this is a joyous moment, one to be celebrated and last a lifetime. 

Now, you can add Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and company to the legendary Knicks list.

They’ll live forever in New York sports lore because they finished the job and gave the fans so many moments to hold onto during this remarkable playoff run: a 22-point comeback in the Eastern Conference finals, a 13-game winning streak across every round of the playoffs, and a historic 29-point comeback in Game 4 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden. 

A steady climb

Let’s not forget the architect of this:  Team President Leon Rose and his top lieutenant William Wesley. The Knicks hired Rose in 2020 – after the team lost the most games in the NBA during the 2019-20 season – and he immediately started building this championship squad from the ground up. 

It’s been a steady climb. The Knicks lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2020, lost in the second rounds in 2023 and 2024, and lost in the conference finals in 2025. 

After the loss to Indiana last year, Rose and Wesley made the bold and controversial move to fire Tom Thibodeau as head coach and hire Mike Brown. 

Brown wasn’t their first choice, and many fans questioned the move. But he was the final piece of the championship puzzle to get New York to the top of the basketball mountain and a trip up the Canyon of Heroes. 

An epic parade

New York City has thrown many incredible parades honoring our sports teams and heroes, but this one might top them all. 

The Knickerbockers, who play in the Mecca of Basketball and the World’s Most Famous Arena, are New York’s team, and they finally brought home another championship.

Knicks fans might be waiting for someone to wake them up, but don’t worry. This one is real, and it will last a lifetime. 

That’s epic.