It’s tremendously alienating. I’ve had plenty of time to reckon with this inevitable championship for the Knicks, not just a great team but the clear Team of Destiny for weeks now, but it’s still hard to swallow.
I am not actually happy for the innumerable Knicks fans around me. I am not quite “happy for the city” either, a begrudging middle ground that, as a born-and-raised Manhattanite who roots for the Yankees, Giants, and even the Rangers with an incurable case of New York Exceptionalism that would disgust the many New Jerseyans that visit this site, I thought I could get to. No. I am an outsider in my own home. This, of course, is the true essence of Nets fandom…
I love my friends….
I’ll say it so you don’t have to: It doesn’t really matter that the New York Knicks are champions, not as it pertains to Brooklyn’s on-court success. Of course, those future Knicks picks might not be so valuable…
…but that’d still be the case even if Victor Wembanyama made eye-contact with Stephon Castle before throwing that pass. You, Nets fan, are still allowed or even encouraged to be excited for a future with Egor Dëmin and whoever the team drafts at No. 6 overall in ten days.
Regarding the rest, there’s little to be done. If there is anything, anything at all surprising about Fort Greene/Downtown Brooklyn/Park Slope drowning in blue-and-orange ecstasy…
Chris DeMarco said the city’s vibes were “incredible” last night. He watched the game from a restaurant in Park Slope. After the Knicks won, he walked around for an hour to soak in the scene before going home.
…it’s that any of us lived long enough to see the Knicks win another title. As Ock Sportello told me, this would be easier to accept if the franchise were an indomitable, Laker-esque force rather than a tortured soul with The Greatest City in the World and, therefore, the moral arc of history behind them. LeBron James told Cleveland that his crowning achievement was for them. He wasn’t exactly lying, but we all know that 2016 as The LeBron Title. Kawhi Leonard put a whole nation in The North on his back in 2019; alas, that is The Kawhi Title.
But 2026 is The New York Title. Jalen Brunson cemented his place in NBA history, of course, but he also cemented his place as a contender for the most beloved athlete in NYC history, simply a different plane of existence. I will always remember his 45-point NBA Finals closeout game; many more will remember what felt like eight million New Yorkers partying on the streets until the sun came up, from the true die-hards to the property-destroying streamers to the Kips Bay transplants singing their “Empire State of Mind” transplant anthem because it’s something to do on a Saturday night and hey, New York is about all those things.
So does it matter that the Knicks are growing their fanbase faster than the Nets? Does it matter that this mode of achievement is inaccessible for your favorite team despite also playing in New York City?
“No” is a very reasonable, healthy answer. We’ll all rejoice when the Brooklyn Nets are one day competitive again, perhaps an evil thorn in New York’s side just as they were in the mid 2000’s. I was in the building for Nets-Bucks Game 5 in 2021; the crowd was packed, loud, and very pro-Nets, a low bar but cleared nonetheless. I enjoyed not just the talent on that team, but I loved the vibe. Their best players were hired guns, mercenaries who, under cover of darkness, joined forces in Brooklyn of all places to wreak havoc on the NBA. It fit.
Admittedly, cold villainy is a difficult vibe for a franchise to lean into — I’m not writing this to ask the Nets for anything in particular, maybe other than more Josh Minott quotes. But as Ock Sportello explains: “My grievance, ultimately, is not with the Knicks for reminding me that I will never be a New Yorker, but for the Nets for attempting to convince me that that is something to be ashamed of.”
As a New Yorker, my shame is slightly different, though still distinctly Nets-flavored. I root for the team that moved here and immediately shed any trace of their New Jersey past when I wouldn’t tolerate that quality in a friend. It is the irrepressible feeling that Mikal Bridges was justified in committing the Nets’ cardinal sin, openly pining for a trade across the river, which allowed him to better his life and career and become a local legend. He won.
When I woke up on June 25, 2024, I did not think I’d be standing alone at the Belmont LIRR station at 2 A.M. on June 26, so I did not throw a hoodie in my backpack. Of course, I did not know the Nets were going to make a franchise-altering trade during the fourth quarter of the Commissioner’s Cup Final between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, moved to UBS Arena from Barclays Center so as not to interfere with next day’s NBA Draft.
But I couldn’t tell if I really was cold, or if it was coffee jittters, or if the Six-Pick Mik trade(s) had given me goosebumps all by itself. In any case, I called anybody I figured would be awake, excitedly explaining that the Nets had saved themselves from mediocrity. That the next two years would be painful, but perhaps Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey or AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson could be in black-and-white.
As you all know, that didn’t happen. Lottery luck was never guaranteed. Such is life. Brooklyn still owns future picks from that deal, and they do have flexibility; not every trade or signing or draft pick reaches its ideal outcome. But only the Nets could make one of the great trades in franchise history, setting themselves up to tank for a two-year period that produces the #8 pick, the #6 pick, and said trade being mocked by a rival team as they accept their Larry O…
The Knicks’ playoff run began with a Festivus of their own.
Head coach Mike Brown met individually with each of his five starters — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — and then all of them collectively for them to air their grievances before the Knicks entered the postseason, according to SNY.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown (l.) and guard Jalen Brunson (11) talks to a referee during Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs on June 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The meetings were conducted for the players to get lingering issues off their chest, and Brunson’s dad Rick, one of the Knicks’ assistant coaches, told SNY that those meetings “were pivotal to New York’s playoff success.”
After the Knicks fell behind 2-1 in the first round against the Hawks, they reeled off 13 straight victories as part of a surreal run to their first NBA championship in 53 years, culminating with Saturday’s 94-90 win over the Spurs in Game 5 to win the NBA Finals 4-1.
Mike Brown is interviewed by ESPN’s Ernie Johnson during the Knicks’ trophy ceremony on June 13, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jalen Brunson was unanimously voted NBA Finals MVP after carrying the Knicks in the finale with 45 points on 14-for-27 shooting while going 13-for-15 from the free-throw line.
Brown, the 56-year-old in his first season with the club, set the tone from the outset by having everyone put their commitment in writing.
“The buy in. It was a contract that I had everybody sign opening dinner night and I still have it framed,” Brown told MSG Saturday night. “Everybody’s signature from Mr. Dolan to Leon Rose, all the coaches, all the players, all the staff that was there that night signed it and basically it was about committing to sacrifice, having a competitive spirit, being connected, believing in each other in the process while holding everybody accountable — even myself. I’m not above the law, I’ve gotta be held accountable too.
“I told everybody that night, if you’re not gonna abide by this, I’d have more respect for you to not sign it than to sign it and BS your way through the night and BS your way through this and everybody bought in from Day 1. And that speaks volumes to all of these guys as individuals and especially the leadership on this team, starting with Jalen Brunson.”
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) speaks to the media after the New York Knicks defeat the Spurs during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
I must admit, the way this series has gone, I felt pretty certain heading into the fourth that San Antonio was going to lose this game. Simply put, the Spurs showed time and again that they could play well enough to hold a lead against the Knicks late in the game, but inevitably that edge would wither away in the face of missed opportunities, mistakes, and poor composure. In short, these contests against New York really do seem to have come down to the advantage earned through experience, as the Knicks consistently exhibited an ability to outperform San Antonio at the most critical times.
Despite it’s disappointing ending, we would be remiss to overlook how amazing this season has been. Back in October, the Spurs were expected to be a fringe playoff team that would be thrilled to get past the play-in and go down fighting in the first round. Instead, they won 62 games and marched through a series of tough Western Conference opponents. Replicating that feat next year won’t be easy, but the core of this team is still well within the age range in which substantial year-over-year improvements are the norm, so we have every reason to believe that next year’s squad will be even more impressive. In the meantime, let’s review our last box score of the season:
Note: Now that we’ve moved into the postseason, the reference period used for grading changes from the set of regular season games since 2012-2013 to the set of postseason games since 2012-2013. Unless otherwise noted below, this set DOES include play-in games. As of the end of June 13 2026, this group include 1,206 games.
Factors that decided the game
This was yet another game in which many key battles were essentially draws. For example, New York edged out the Spurs in defensive rebounds (+2), but San Antonio had a +1 edge on the offensive glass. Similarly, the Knicks had one more turnover than the Spurs, but San Antonio’s edge in points off of turnovers was just +3 (certainly an advantage, but unlikely to swing a game).
Shooting volume and efficiency from the field was similarly balanced. The Spurs did have a key edge in overall FG% (+2.74 percentage points), which would normally provide a sizeable advantage in terms of winning. Though San Antonio did make two more field goals than New York, both teams had exactly the same performance from distance (12-of-37), and the broader context is that neither team shot well from the field.
Because points from the field were so scarce, the free throw line played a dominant role in this game, and unfortunately this was the one area where the Knicks clearly outplayed San Antonio. In addition to having a FTA margin of +9 (part of which can be explained by fouling at the very end of the game), New York enjoyed a FT% differential of +8.27 percentage points. As a result, they outscored the Spurs by eight from the charity stripe, which ultimately proved decisive.
Rare Box Score Stats
It is EXCEPTIONALLY rare in the modern NBA for a team to win a postseason contest with the dismal shooting efficiency that New York achieved last night. In fact, there has been only ONE other postseason game since 2012-2013 in which the winning team logged FG%, 3P%, and FT% values at least as bad as 35.63%, 32.43%, and 71.43%, respectively. That other occasion was a May 11, 2013 game in which Indiana beat the Knicks 81-72 in the Eastern Conference Semis.
Of course, New York was able to win with these terrible percentages because the Spurs were even less efficient. In fact, since 2012-2013, just three teams have lost by no more than four points while recording FG%, 3P%, and FT% values at least as bad as 38.37%, 32.43%, and 63.16%, respectively. On average during this period, a postseason loser with a shooting percentage line that bad in all dimensions loses by about 21 points.
Although both teams were woefully inefficient from the field, I must grudgingly admit that Jalen Brunson was exceptional, as he scored 45 points on very good efficiency and accounted for nearly half of his team’s points. In fact, since 1996-1997, only 18 other players have put together a playoff performance in which they scored at least 47.87% of their team’s points.
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.
Spike Lee looks on before Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Spike Lee saw one championship and immediately started thinking about the next one.
After the Knicks clinched their first NBA Finals championship since 1973 on Saturday night, the longtime fan was asked his thoughts.
The Knicks superfan has been a season ticket holder since 1985, which also happened to be Patrick Ewing’s rookie season.
He has become so well-recognized as one of the most passionate celebrity Knicks fans that folks online, including actor Kevin Hart, have called for Lee to receive a championship ring from the team.
Hart posted a video to Instagram and Facebook Sunday morning saying that the Knicks should give the filmmaker a ring.
“Give @officialspikelee a CHAMPIONSHIP RING DAMN IT!!!!!!!! Congrats Knicks and Congrats New York!!!!! Long overdue,” Hart captioned his video.
Spike Lee looks on before Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. Getty Images
Lee’s Knicks roots run deep. Despite being born in Atlanta, his family moved to Brooklyn when he was young, and later received his masters in film and television from New York University.
The 69-year-old said in a recent CNN interview that he would trade his honorary Oscar for a Knicks title.
Here’s the latest on the Knicks’ historic 2026 NBA Finals win
Fortunately, Lee won’t have to worry about that anymore.
The Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought on Saturday night with a 94-90 victory over the Spurs in Game 5.
They trailed by double digits in all five games and came back to win the four they needed to clinch their third championship in franchise history.
If Lee’s wish of back-to-back championships comes true, the Knicks could be on their way to building a dynasty on the back of their captain and reigning Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson.
Since Brunson’s arrival in 2022, the Knicks have won at least one playoff series every season. In the 21 seasons prior, they had won just one.
Jalen Brunson didn’t address his haters after winning the NBA Finals MVP, but his sister Erica took a different approach.
Erica took to X the morning after the Knicks won their first title in 53 years, calling out critics of her older brother who claimed that he was not a player capable of leading his team to a championship.
The critics were clearly proven wrong on Saturday night, when Brunson scored 45 points in the deciding Game 5.
Erica Brunson called out critics of her older brother after the Knicks won their first NBA title in 53 years. Robert Miller
Erica then reposted a clip from Colin Cowherd’s show “The Herd” where the longtime sports personality claimed Brunson was “a number two, on a great team a three.”
“Unfortunately I’m petty and idc. WHAT. NOW!!! Where will the goal post move now?” Erica wrote.
It’s going to be difficult for Brunson’s critics to keep it up. With his huge performance in the closeout Game 5 and the upswing the Knicks have been on since his arrival in free agency in 2022, Brunson has cemented his place as one of the greatest Knicks in recent history.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson holds the MVP trophy after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. AP Photo/Ross D. FranklinNew York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson motions after a basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in San Antonio. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
In the past four years with Brunson, the Knicks have won at least one playoff series every season. In the 21 seasons before the three-time All-Star? The Knicks won one playoff series.
After the Finals win, Brunson was asked about those who have claimed he isn’t a 1A player.
“I didn’t respond to them then, I’m damn sure not gonna respond to them now,” Brunson said pointedly.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 2: The sneakers worn by Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers before the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Knicks point guard Jose Alvarado started his victory tour in his native Brooklyn by making a surprise appearance in the Knickerbocker Avenue Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday.
Alvarado ditched his white tank top and waved it over his head while the crowd chanted “Knicks in five!” during the eighth annual parade in Bushwick.
“Thank you guys so much, it means the world to me. Really,” Alvarado said as he stood on a float. “I’m a kid from Brooklyn. And the Knicks party f–kin’ did it.”
New York Knick Jose Alvarado seen at the Rican Day Parade in Brooklyn, New York, on June 14, 2026. Sofia Poznansky/NY PostFellow Knick Jordan Clarkson also joined Alvarado at the parade on Sunday. Sofia Poznansky/NY Post
Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson was also seen posing with fans at the celebration.
The parade typically starts before noon, but was pushed to 3 p.m. – likely to accommodate this year’s special guests.
Alvarado is the only born-and-raised New Yorker on the current Knicks roster.
Alvardo on the mic during the parade on Sunday after the Knicks clinched the title. Kevin Downs for NY Post
He grew up in Williamsburg before his family moved to Queens, where he quickly established himself as a standout athlete at Christ The King High School in Middle Village.
Alvarado is of Puerto Rican descent and helped the island’s basketball team qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
Per Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen, each player on the Knicks will earn an additional approximately $770,000 for winning the title.
The team share for winning the NBA Finals is $9,078,000, and this will be split amongst the team.
James Dolan and the Knicks celebrate their NBA championship win on June 13, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
As Badenhausen pointed out, the added money is huge for players on the team with lower salaries. Jeremy Sochan has the lowest salary on the team of those not on two-way contracts with $806,000. Mohamed Diawara makes $1.3 million and Jose Alvarado makes $1.7 million.
The franchise will also receive $471,000 for finishing as the third seed in the Eastern Conference this season, alongside bonuses for going through the first round, the conference semifinals and the conference finals.
Players will also likely receive more money from outside the NBA playoff prize pool that is tied to their individual contracts through incentives.
The New York Knicks lift the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
The full NBA playoff pool including all teams and results is worth $35.74 million. Payouts for each team differ based on regular-season finishes and playoff results.
The San Antonio Spurs, as the Finals runner-up, will bring home an extra $3.921 million alongside their prizes from their progress through earlier playoff rounds.
There are also rewards for the best regular-season results. The team with the best record in the NBA earns $896,000, while the top record in each conference merits $784,000. The bonuses proceed down to the sixth-best record in each conference, which gets $210,000.
Of course, the biggest prize will always be the championship itself, but the money that comes with it, especially for the players earning less money, is a nice add-on too.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson shows off a snake he caught at the team’s hotel in San Antonio on Friday. Instagram/Mitchell Robinson
“I’m about to put it down! Calm down!” Robinson said.
Throughout the NBA Finals, Robinson was nursing a broken right hand he suffered after the conference finals. It is still unclear how Robinson sustained the fracture, as the team would not reveal the cause of the injury.
Robinson played the entire series after being listed as questionable for Game 1.
Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick who has been with the team for eight years, made a clutch offensive rebound in the last minute of the fourth quarter in Game 5 to help the Knicks secure the 94-90 win to take the series 4-1 over the San Antonio Spurs.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson poses with the Larry O’Brien trophy after the team’s NBA championship win on June 13, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Robinson talked about the snake he caught in his postgame press conference.
“You know what’s crazy? [Friday] at the hotel I caught a snake — again,” Robinson said. “When I caught a snake in the beginning of the playoffs when we played Atlanta, we won. I caught one last night, and we won today.
“So I think it’s something about snakes.”
Perhaps it’s that, but it’s certainly also the work of Robinson’s captain. Jalen Brunson had 45 points in the closeout game and was awarded the Bill Russell Trophy for Finals MVP.
“It was unreal,” Robinson said of Brunson’s performance Saturday night. “Literally just unreal, like I’m speechless…
“To do it in a closeout game against a good team like that, it’s just different.”
Jun 13, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks back to control the ball during the first quarter during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
I was a big fan of Roger Ebert. I suppose, in a way, I still am.
Any time I watch a film that I know was made prior to April of 2013, I scramble to look it up after the movie is over, curious to see if our assessments are in the same ballpark.
About three-quarters of the time, I’m delighted to find that we shared a similar experience as viewers.
This is, for me, a big deal. I do not care for critics. However, this is largely due to the prevailing nature of critical disposition, rather than an issue with dissenting opinions themselves.
There is no critic who gets every assessment right. I was also very fond of the literary criticism of the late Harold Bloom, and I agreed with/fully enjoyed about 60% of it.
Sixty percent is no small amount of agreement between two human beings. In fact, when one considers factors such as personality, background, education, and regional affiliation, it might be considered some degree of minor miracle to agree with anyone to that extent.
We are not, as history has repeatedly demonstrated, an agreeable species.
Sir Thomas More understood this when he coined the word ‘Utopia’ as a clever linguistic pun. The Greek prefixes of ‘Ou’ and ‘Eu’ are so similar in phonetic pronunciation that they are more-or-less indistinguishable when the word is spoken aloud.
The difference in their effect on the meaning of the word is, however, substantial, with ‘Eutopos’ translating to ‘the good place’ and ‘Outopos’ translating to ‘no place’.
Both of those meanings are contained within the same word — not unlike the phrase ‘NBA Finals’.
And while critical opinion of More’s book Utopia is now largely united in agreement that his now-500-year-old text is satirical in nature, there’s still a lot of disagreement about what More was satirizing in particular.
Some believe that his target was the monarchy. Others are of the opinion that he was targeting Catholicism, Christianity, or even religion as a whole.
Time goes on, and the list grows longer to include (among others) The Protestant Reformation, The Church of England, Platonic Humanism, Foreign Policy, Colonialism, Politics, Penal Codes, Materialism, Capitalism, Religious Intolerance, and even one of his friend’s books (Erasmus’s ‘In Praise of Folly’).
And the fascinating thing about each suggestion and argument is that they have this subtle way of telling you more about the individuals who proposed them than about More’s actual intentions, which remain somewhat nebulous.
It’s not terribly dissimilar from the revelations a person might encounter in the critiques and opinions of the fans of a sports team.
And there are certainly a lot of opinions floating around out there right now, in the wake of what is only San Antonio’s 2nd series loss in seven attempts.
Tirades about Mitch Johnson and De’Aaron Fox that have been waiting until the opportune time to rear their heads, as if they weren’t preexisting opinions that were occasionally held back in the wake of victory, for lack of receptivity at the time.
Hair-trigger monologues demanding the trades and/or releases of half the roster and the firing of critical staff. Thoughtful analysis shifting the weight of disappointment to something more palatable.
Exercises in gratitude that belie a long-standing lack of faith in the team’s ability to accomplish the loftiest of goals. Deep reservoirs of sadness that suggest that hope for a better outcome was holding together the structure or foundation of something else.
Almost every Spur receiving blame or adulation in a way that seems indicative of a very particular or personal preoccupation with the player.
And honestly, this is fine. This is natural. This is human.
I do not (and cannot) exempt myself from feeling any-and-all of these things at different times in the course of a single game, much less a single series, or, for that matter, postseason. I cannot help but admit that.
Which is the crux of my issue with critics (and journalists). I don’t mind if we disagree. I don’t mind that they might be wrong.
What I mind, most of all, is a refusal to admit that one’s viewpoint (and therefore, opinion) might be subject to any one of a million different prejudices and points of vested interest.
And moreover, that one might not even be able to see it.
And to be fair, no one is perfectly aware of all of their partialities. To be so would involve being something other than human.
But I have no more respect for the critic who cannot admit to bias than I do for the sports journalist unable to admit that they have a favorite team that might color some of their discourse.
(Watching journalists and fans defending Mike Breen’s impartiality as a commentator in a championship final featuring the Knicks infuriated me to no end)
And I think that’s a big part of why I had such a fondness for Ebert, who, despite his social prominence as a preeminent film critic, was frequently honest about the nature of his reservations.
He was, in my opinion, much more often right than wrong in his evaluations, but he was also not above revisiting and reassessing films that he knew he had been wrong about.
And in 2002, he was wrong about my favorite film of all time, ‘Road To Perdition’.
Contrasting the film with Coppola’s iconic Godfather, he compares the difference between them to “the difference between Sophocles and Shakespeare”, summarizing that he prefers Shakespeare, calling Perdition a coldly preordained (though admirable) tragedy.
That Shakespeare (and the whole of Western drama) was inspired and influenced by the works of Sophocles is an observation that somehow escapes him. By his own admission, it appeared to be the result of his preference for a stronger illusion of free will.
And this is an opinion I’ve encountered in those unwilling to simply admit that they prefer Shakespeare.
This idea that Hamlet accidentally driving his beloved to suicide rather than the safety of a nunnery, or Lear failing to recognize the faithfulness and love of a daughter who refuses to flatter him is somehow more palatable or moving than Orpheus looking back for Eurydice, or Odysseus’s dog Argos recognizing him by scent and wagging his tail before his heart gives out, after 20 years spent waiting for his master.
Tragedy is tragedy. We can only measure it by how it moves us.
The tragedy of watching a father who has lived his life in villainy do everything he can to prevent his son from meeting the same fate is no less than the tragedy of a mafioso father having to call in a favor with an undertaker for an outcome he couldn’t foresee when he indebted him.
The tragedy of watching Ray Allen snuff out the victory of Duncan’s Spurs in sight of the Larry O’Brien is inseparable from the tragedy of watching Wemby’s team of young upstarts give up lead after lead and knowing what the outcome will most likely be.
Both of them wounded me equally, just in completely different ways.
One was on the cusp of victory. The other never truly looked close.
And that’s the thing about Greek tragedy: you can warn the protagonist endlessly and have no real effect. You can give them the advice and guidance and watch them make the mistake anyway.
It doesn’t matter if you’re Daedalus Popovich (no need to check, that was totally his last name), the greatest mythical inventor of Greek antiquity — your son is still going to forget/ignore your warning.
And, almost as tragically, eventually people are going to forget that your warning was twofold — to neither fly too high, nor too low. They’re going to forget that your story was actually about balance (not ambition), the very thing Icawemby and those young Spurs were lacking, and that cost them the most.
You think that knowing the ending makes it hurt less, Ebert? Please. You’re talking to someone who willingly sat there getting his heart repeatedly ripped out as the Spurs and Knicks traded fouls in the closing seconds of a game (and series) that he had known was over halfway through the quarter!
Did you somehow imagine that Prometheus experienced less pain because he already knew that the eagle was coming to rip out and devour his liver each day?!
But here I am, bellyaching about a review that is almost a quarter of a century old, in the hopes that the animus will somehow keep me from thinking about how the season just ended.
And the thing is, it was kind of working there for a minute. In nursing my grudge, I had almost forgotten what this whole thing was about. Anger is a potent narcotic. (Some studies have compared its effect to that of cocaine)
I have this sneaking suspicion that human fallibility was the subject of Thomas More’s Utopia — the fallibility so deeply rooted in our pain and anger that we are doomed to live in the borderlands between the good place and no place.
The Spurs are living in those borderlands. So are their fans. But that’s okay, because that’s where everyone lives.
The Knicks aren’t going to find that championship any more utopic than the silver-and-black would have.
Oh, they might get a few more days of respite, but then it’s back to real life. Then they get to resume their pursuit of the place that cannot be.
It’s a noble pursuit, and the Spurs came up just short.
It’s a tragedy. It’s a moral lesson. It’s life. And I can’t wait for next year.
What an absolute rock-fight of a series. Not a single game was decided by more than 10 points. 4 games were decided by 4 points or less. On Twitter/X the question was posed as to whether this was the most competitive 5-game series in Finals history, and it’s a fair question because nothing in my memory stirs to contradict the assertion that it was. I’m honestly shocked that we didn’t have a single contest go to overtime. And while I understand that it’s far from the most soothing commentary on the loss, it really is an indicator of how close the Spurs already are. We can talk about expectations all we want, but the reality is that this team missed by a painfully small margin, and that means that the wholesale changes that some are stumping for aren’t necessarily needed. Yes, the Spurs have got to add one more scorer (of the shooting variety). The lack of depth in that department was exposed by the Knicks’ defense. As was the lack of depth in the front-court, where there was really no lineup option outside of Luke Kornet. Thankfully, the Spurs already have the resources to patch both of those holes. And of course, don’t discount the rippling effect of further growth from the young trio of Wemby, Castle, and Harper. I expect the Spurs to pick their spots and strengthen the team accordingly, but I also think they may move with more urgency than expected, with contract extensions on the very near horizon. It’s not as sexy or as satisfying as some might like, but even if the Spurs were to split the difference between the extremity of fan desires and their typically slow-moving pace, that would be one hell of an off-season.
I don’t think De’Aaron Fox is going to get traded. However, if he were, I think you’d be most likely to see it happen in the next 9 days or so, either prior to or during the draft. With Giannis on the market and the current CBA incentivizing cap gymnastics, there are bound to be a lot of teams looking to move players for a variety of reasons, and the Spurs are in a good place to capitalize on that. If history is any indicator, the draft is an opening the Spurs are not uncomfortable making moves within, so keep your eyes peeled. On the other hand, the Spurs also have a knack for turning later picks into roster gold, so don’t be shocked if they hit on someone taking a draft tumble instead. In any case, if Fox doesn’t end up on the move, I think you can expect more three-guard lineups next season. On a night where Fox and Castle combined to go 4-25, Harper was a godsend and is already at the point that he can keep the team afloat. If each of those guards gets 30+ minutes per game next year, it’s going to lead to some interesting rotational quirks and changes. So, get ready for some weirdness, because the Spurs have never really been in such an enviable pickle, and I’m not sure any of us can predict how they’re going to balance it out.
I’ve talked about the likely Champagnie extension coming in the off-season, and I don’t think that’ll be painful at all, but there are two interesting contracts on the roster in Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson that may make or break their time with the team in the coming seasons. It’s worth noting that Keldon’s is the one expiring after next season, and it makes me wonder how the Spurs will play that after his 6th Man of the Year award. With Castle, Harper, and Wemby’s contracts all likely to come with some serious sticker shock (not to mention Fox’s), it’s very likely that we’ll be saying goodbye to one (or both) of Devin and Keldon in the next year or two. It really makes me hope that the Spurs will turn next season into a revenge tour so that those two can taste championship victory after so many uncomplaining years toiling in non-contention.
Coming into the series, I was concerned about San Antonio’s relative weaknesses in rebounding and three-point shooting, which turned out to be just enough to be fatal, but was actually not as considerable a difference as I had anticipated (the Knicks averaged about 1 rebound and 1 three-pointer per game more than the Spurs). What I didn’t anticipate was the Spurs struggling at the free-throw line so significantly that it ultimately cost them the series. They shot 63% from the free-throw line last night, missing out on 7 very crucial points in the process. It was one of two Finals games in which they shot 70% or worse from the line. I’m curious to see what their free-throw shooting ends up being like next season. I know I’d be shooting them all day, every day, out of sheer fury. Turns out you can’t escape the trappings of the fundamentals. Story of the series, really.
The Knicks’ championship celebration was cleared for takeoff.
The party began on the ground in San Antonio, but continued high in the sky on the team’s chartered Delta flight to New York just hours after its first championship in 53 years.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart pose with the Larry O’Brien NBA Finals trophy on board their flight home. Instagram/@jhartMembers of the Knicks deplane after arriving home from San Antonio. Courtesy of Delta Air LinesHead coach Mike Brown is seen getting off the Delta flight Sunday morning. Instagram/@showcase718
“And if you can, tell those guys congratulations, enjoy the moment,” one air traffic controller who cleared the team for takeoff in Texas is heard saying on newly released audio.
“Oh, they’re enjoying it back there; you probably can hear them,” one of the pilots replied. “They’re having a good time, we’ll pass it on.
“The plane’s rocking,” he said. “They’re having a party.”
The air traffic controller explained that he wanted to pass along congratulations before the players “fell asleep” — but the newly minted NBA champs chose celebration over slumber.
The flight was later cleared for a scenic detour that took them over the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and up the Hudson River before heading north to Westchester County Airport.
“Please let the guys know, New York TRACON, LaGuardia tower, Kennedy tower, maybe even Newark tower and Westchester tower, we’re all running on about three or four hours of sleep but as happy as we could ever be,” one air traffic controller broadcast before the plane hit the runway. “Congrats.”
“They finally settled down about 30 minutes ago,” the pilot answered,” but before that, it was a pretty excited bunch back here,” the pilot replied.
“I believe we’re all excited here,” the controller answered. “We’re on our second box of coffee this morning. “Go New York.”
The accolades continued after the Delta flight touched down at the Westchester airport after a four-hour flight Sunday morning, where the team was greeted with a water cannon salute.
Delta had been on board with the Knicks throughout their magical playoff run, handing out more than 2,000 rally towels and gifting two lucky fans tickets to Game 4 of the NBA Finals at MSG.
“New York has long been an important part of Delta’s story, and it is an honor to celebrate alongside the Knicks, MSG and our customers with this exciting win,” Emmakate Young, managing director of sponsorships for the airline, said in a statement.
New Yorkers across the city celebrated the Knicks’ win over the San Antonio Spurs all of Saturday night and into the wee hours of Sunday morning.
Soboroff played the viral clip of MD Ahnaf Hossain, the originator of the rhyme, exclaiming: “My mayor’s still Muslim, my bagel’s still Jewish, even the Pope’s on our side, Knicks in five!”
“He is a New Yorker whose words have really stayed with all of us,” Mamdani, who was wearing a Knicks jersey over his dress shirt and tie, said with a chuckle. “And thanks to him, there are a lot of people who have just been running up to me over the last few weeks just shouting, ‘My mayor’s Muslim!’ I said, ‘It’s true. I am.’”
The viral fan chant, which originated as “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish, my Christian Dior, Knicks in four,” took on new life — and became something of a mantra in the Big Apple — as New Yorkers shouted out their hometown pride and stood united ahead of Game 5 Saturday night.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacted to the viral ‘My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish’ chant while celebrating the Knicks’ historic NBA Championship (MS Now)
Mamdani noted that the viral chant “speaks to what the city is and even this team.”
“It’s not just a cookie cut out of the same thing again and again, it’s every single player having a role, bringing together all of the five boroughs in this moment. It’s truly a joy,” he added.
The mayor noted the high, electric energy that has been radiating in New York City as of late due to the Knicks’ historic run in the NBA finals and the World Cup. Thousands of New Yorkers gathered Saturday to take in the historic win, with many taking to the streets after to celebrate the team’s first victory since 1973.
“People have been waiting for this for 53 years. And there have been so many heartbreaks, so many near misses, so many years every year where we have told ourselves it's the year,” Mamdani said. “And for it to actually happen now, I mean, there's nothing more we can ask for as New Yorkers.”
“ It's honestly a beautiful thing,” he added.
(Getty)
“I was reading a piece this morning that really wrote about it quite beautifully, where it said that oftentimes this kind of unity comes in moments of tragedy. And to see it coming now, in a moment of joy, it's something that I have never seen before across our city, where the nation's largest city has become what feels like the world's smallest town, where everyone is thinking and hoping and praying for the same thing,” he added.
Several notable quotes from the viral fan chant have been replicated on hats and T-shirts. It has also been declared “pure New York City poetry” by The New York Times. Meanwhile, the man who went viral for the championship mantra, 23-year-old Hossain, told the Washington Post it was about unifying the city at a crucial time.
“I grew up with Jews, Muslims, Haitians, Pakistanis, Bengalis,” Hossain said. “I just had to bring everyone together.”
Meanwhile, other Knicks fans rattled off their own spin on the viral fan chant online.
“My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish, my Saturday Night Live, Knicks in five,” one fan riffed on the original.
Another person mused: “My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish, my cream cheese chive, Knicks in five.”
Even the official New York Knicks account shared their take on the viral chant, writing, “NEW YORK FOREVER, WE DID THIS TOGETHER, THE CITY'S ALIVE, KNICKS IN FIVE.”
As soon as the confetti hit the ground in San Antonio last night, it was time to look ahead to a new set of NBA Championship odds.
And while the Spurs fell short in these NBA Finals, the NBA odds board has high hopes for Victor Wembanyama and the rest of this talented young core moving forward, listing San Antonio as a +250 favorite to win in 2027.
It remains a tight field, though, with three more teams listed with odds shorter than 7/1. We break it all down below.
Despite falling flat in this year's NBA Finals, it's easy to see that the San Antonio Spurs' best days are ahead of them.
The young core of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle will surely improve, and the team has now gotten a glimpse of what is needed to win at the highest level. As +250 solo favorites, they won't be sneaking up on anyone this year.
Oklahoma City Thunder (+260)
Injuries to key contributors made the Oklahoma City Thunder's title defense much harder than it would have appeared during the season, and yet OKC managed to go up 2-1 and 3-2 over the Spurs before flaming out in the Western Conference Finals.
The core of back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren remains, and if J-Dub can get back to playing regularly, this team will flirt with 70 wins for a third straight regular season and be a threat to hoist the Larry O'Brien for a second time.
Jayson Tatum's late return from injury in time for a title run last season proved to be fool's gold, as the Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in Round 1.
But with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumours starting to swirl, not much has to happen for Boston to regain title contender status.
New York Knicks (+650)
Some may see the New York Knicks listed fourth and see that as disrespectful to the champs, but for as beloved as this team became over the last two months, the comeback magic can't be sustainable.
They were down double-digits in four of five Finals games, and a more experienced opponent would have been able to withstand New York's comeback runs, but if we've learned anything, it's that anything is possible when Jalen Brunson is on your side.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Feb 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A general view of the Phoenix Suns logo on the court before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
It’s over. Officially, it’s over. The season ended 48 days ago for the Phoenix Suns, but now the league itself has reached the finish line as the NBA Finals have concluded.
So what does that mean? It means the transaction season can truly begin. It means conversations can turn into negotiations, negotiations can turn into agreements, and front offices around the league can begin executing their plans for the 2026-27 season.
Starting on Sunday, teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents and extension eligible players.
The first important date is June 29, the deadline for all team and player option decisions. The Suns have two players with team options, although Ryan Dunn’s option was exercised last October. That leaves Jamaree Bouyea, who is set to earn $2.6 million next season if Phoenix picks up his option. Should the Suns exercise it, they would still maintain flexibility. Bouyea’s contract remains non-guaranteed until January 10, 2027, when it becomes fully guaranteed. But the decision on whether to pick up the option must be made by June 29.
The next key date is June 30. At 3:00 p.m. Arizona time, teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents. That said, the Suns can already begin having conversations with their own free agents now that the season has officially concluded.
There are four internal free agents worth monitoring.
Jordan Goodwin and Collin Gillespie are both eligible for new deals, with Phoenix holding Early Bird Rights on each player. Amir Coffey enters free agency as an unrestricted free agent with Non-Bird Rights attached. Then there’s Mark Williams, a restricted free agent whose qualifying offer sits at $9.6 million. Phoenix possesses his Bird Rights, giving the organization flexibility in how it approaches negotiations.
Now that the Finals are over and we’re nine days away from the NBA Draft, those internal discussions can begin in earnest. The front office can start moving the ball forward as it prepares for next season.
The assumption is that retaining Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin will be among Phoenix’s top priorities this offseason. Both players became integral parts of the culture and identity the Suns worked to establish last season, and bringing them back would provide another layer of continuity moving forward.
Ok NBA Finals over let's talk Suns. I continue to expect Phoenix's top priorities this offseason to be retaining Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin. They can start talking today.
We’ll know soon enough whether common ground can be found and what those contracts ultimately look like. The offseason is officially here. The draft is around the corner. Free agency isn’t far behind. And the Suns can finally begin laying the foundation for what comes next.
Stay tuned to Bright Side of the Sun all offseason long. We’ll be here breaking it all down, offering our opinions, overanalyzing every rumor, and doing what we always do this time of year, trying to figure out how to fix the Phoenix Suns.
Much has been made of where Jalen Brunson ranks in the pantheon of current NBA stars. References to his status as a “1A” player have been debated constantly over the past several years.
As the champagne dries and the cigar smoke clears in the road locker room in San Antonio on Sunday, Brunson has proven the doubters wrong. A 45-point masterpiece in the championship clincher was the end of a marvelous 16-3 playoff run for Brunson. The former second-round pick won NBA Finals MVP after leading the New York Knicks to a 4-1 NBA Finals win against the San Antonio Spurs. This is the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.
Since his arrival in the 2022 offseason, Brunson has reinvigorated the Knicks. His original four-year, $104 million contract was thought to be an overpay. It’s been everything but that.
From 2001 to 2022, New York won exactly one playoff series. It only took Brunson two years to eclipse that mark. New York’s 2023 run was where the possibilities of a championship team began. The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round but fell to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in six games.
Hidden behind that painful loss was Brunson’s elite performance. The guard averaged 31.0 points on 50.4 percent from the field and 6.3 assists against a frenetic Heat defense that threw zones, blitzes, and traps Brunson’s way. However, it wasn’t enough. Brunson had 41 points in the last game, but Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, New York’s second and third scoring options respectively, struggled in the series closer, shooting a combined 4-for-24 from the field.
The right group
It was that point where the Knicks front office, led by Leon Rose, knew it had a special player. But the club had to figure out how to find the right mix of defense, perimeter shooting and secondary offensive creation around Brunson.
Soon came big bets from New York. Early in the following season, the Knicks dealt homegrown first-round picks Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby. Then came the 2024 offseason acquisitions of Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Knicks went all-in with these moves, famously handing over five first round picks for Bridges and dealing key cogs Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick, to land Towns.
Adding Anunoby and Bridges gave New York two very good corner three-point shooters, who, along with Josh Hart, created a three-headed monster of wings capable of guarding multiple positions. Towns was the second offensive option, a center who could create his own offense, but could also space the floor and create space for Brunson to operate.
After a loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025, the final tweak came at head coach with the firing of Tom Thibodeau and the subsequent hiring of Mike Brown.
All of these moves have come with the intention of maximizing the Brunson window. New York also hit on smaller deals like adding Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet over the last couple of years. They all paid off throughout this playoff run.
Offensive engine
Brunson is an offense unto himself, which leads to teams bending their defense to stop him. During this postseason, he averaged 1.09 points per possession in isolation according to NBA Stats, the second-highest number for any player that averaged at least 3.0 isolation possessions.
In these NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs tried everything to slow down the All-Star point guard. Much like that Miami team from a few years ago, there were full-court presses, traps and double teams. There was also 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama lurking by the basket on nearly every possession.
But this time, the teammates New York added around Brunson over the past couple of years were able to take advantage of the extended Spurs defense. Those same double teams created hockey assist opportunities. Shooters like Anunoby, Bridges and Landry Shamet all thrived from that. Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in in Game Four came off Brunson shooting as a double-team approached from the Spurs’ Wembayama and De’Aaron Fox.
Brunson and the Knicks’ relationship has been built on trust. The Knicks have done everything to build a contender that fits around the point guard. And Brunson has sacrificed, signing a four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024 instead of waiting for a projected five-year, $269 million deal in 2025, a $113 million difference.
With Brunson on the roster, the Knicks will always have a fighting chance. And the belief in the guard will make the team do whatever it takes to compete for more titles going forward.
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