Category: Basketball

An ESPN pundit is furious over recent comments by Vincent Goodwill, calling the NBA Championship a “participation trophy.”

Kendrick Perkins went off on Wednesday evening on “The Road Trippin Show.” 

“That was a bunch of bulls–t. It was all the way disrespectful, and when I heard him say it, the first thing came to mind is that your ass never was an athlete then. You couldn’t have never participated or been a basketball player or played on anybody’s team talking that type of nonsense. That was the most asinine thing that I’ve ever heard.”

Goodwill’s argument highlighted the eight different champions over eight years, noting that many teams were unable to repeat. He also argued Tuesday that there is no validation in any of the eight wins, including the New York Knicks’ recent championship. 

Other participants were shocked by the comments, including MSG and ESPN NBA analyst Alan Hahn, who said the biggest point of validation was the Larry O’Brien Trophy

“Oh, you mean the participation trophy then.” Goodwill retorted. “It is if everyone gets one.” 

Perkins believes that even if a player won the championship more than once, each win would stick with them. 

“You disrespect the guys who are champions by saying it’s a participation trophy. Like what the f–k are we talking about? Do you know that one in those eight teams that won over the last eight years, one of them was Steph Curry,” Pekins said. “And I guarantee you if you go ask Steph Curry which one of them was his greatest championship, nine times out of ten he’s going to say the fourth one, not just because he won Finals MVP but because he had to overcome the obstacle of being a defensive liability. And he did that.” 

“As the media, we have a f–king responsibility, man, to make sure that we say and do the right things,” he continued. “We don’t go on the stage, on the platform, right after somebody just been crowned champions and call that s–t a participation trophy. Even if you’re thinking that, you don’t say that.”

For teams to be champions, it takes years of good drafting, smart signings and clever trades. Then the players and coaches work hard through an 82-game season to just make the playoffs. Finally, in a short period of time, the teams have to play and beat the other team’s best to have a chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. 

In the NBA, five teams have never been in the Finals, and ten have never hoisted the trophy. Those fans are still waiting to participate in the celebrations of being NBA champions. 

With the offseason officially underway, the Suns have several questions to answer with their own free agents. They want to bring back multiple players and are expected to prioritize Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin. Fans are also wondering what that could cost the team. Two other names fans want back are set to be restricted free agents.

Those two names are Mark Williams and Koby Brea, and even if only one got real playing time last year, both have a path to success in the Valley. The Suns also seem to agree, as they do not want to lose them for nothing. That is why today’s news dropped that the Suns have extended qualifying offers to both players.

This means the Suns have extended one-year contracts to each player, allowing them to become restricted free agents. It also allows other teams to send offer sheets to either Williams or Brea to try to steal them from Phoenix. The silver lining, though, is that Phoenix can match those offer sheets and retain those players if they feel the contract they received is something they would pay.

Williams comes in at $9.6 million, as he reached starter criteria. In Brea’s case, since he was on a two-way, his offer is only $680k, but he has a cap hold of $2.2 million.

Even though the Suns could let either player or both walk, it would make sense for them to consider offers from other teams. Since Brea did not play much, it would seem his market would not be large, which could ensure he returns to Phoenix either on a two-way or, finally, on the roster, competing for a spot.

In Williams’s case, though, this could get interesting. With restricted free agency last year, most players accepted their qualifying offers, as teams had little money to spend in free agency and players sought large contracts. Players like Jonathan Kuminga, Quentin Grimes, Josh Giddey, and Cam Thomas were among those who headlined that saga, and even though some of them did get long-term deals, some situations did not end well.

Now, I am not going to say that Williams will fall into that same category, as I expect a team like the Chicago Bulls, which has money, to be interested. They have been linked to other center names in Walker Kessler and Jaren Duren, so it would make sense that Williams is on their radar, too. Since they also have 60M in cap space, it could be a concern for Phoenix if they strike out on other names.

Could they swing an offer that puts Phoenix out of his price range? Maybe, but even with the number change to Devin Booker to take Williams 15 from last year, that does not simply close the door. Williams was someone who, even if he got injured later in the season, was healthy for the majority of the year. He hit a career high in games played with 60, and for stretches of the season, looked like he could be a solution in the front court.

With Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro expected to see larger roles, it could make sense to move off Williams, but ultimately, it is not the plan. If they can get him on a one-year prove-it qualifying offer, I think they would be happy. Even if they had to work on a deal that was like 2-3 years worth $30-40M, I’d still think they would entertain that.

Thought we truly won’t see until free agency kicks off on June 30th, when the dominoes start to fall. All eyes will be on what this team does to truly improve, and even though fans may not want to hear it, sticking with what worked and seeing some internal development could be that path.

As P&T goes through this player-by-player tribute to the team that ended the 53-year-long title drought, we’re slowly going to be building up to the people who had the big moments and legacy-defining playoff runs. The first few players were mostly spectators throughout the playoff run, but little by little, more and more contributions will be unearthed.

We’ve now reached the point in the series where we’re paying tribute to a player whose on-court performance will absolutely be featured in the championship DVD (or documentary, I guess. DVDs haven’t been a thing in a while). He might not have played in the Finals and was relegated to garbage time in the playoff run, but the Knicks might not have gotten to this point without his contributions in the regular season.

Tyler Kolek was born on March 27, 2001, in Providence, Rhode Island. His dad is a police officer who once played Division III hoops; his older brother played in Division II from 2018-23. Hell, he wasn’t even the first Tyler Kolek to emerge in the sports world, as an unrelated high schooler from Texas was picked No. 2 overall by the Miami Marlins back in 2014.

But that Tyler Kolek is only known as a total bust, never making it to Double-A before fizzling out in 2019, which is when our Tyler Kolek was finishing up his high school career. As an unranked recruit out of St. George’s School in Newport, Kolek enrolled at George Mason University in 2020 and did well as a freshman, winning Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year before entering the transfer portal and joining Shaka Smart at Marquette.

That decision would be a tremendous one, not just for Marquette, but for Kolek’s career.

He blossomed out in Wisconsin. His sophomore season was pretty rough, as even though he led the Big East in assists, he was possibly the least effective scorer in the conference. The Golden Eagles, like Kolek, needed another year to break out, and that’s exactly what he did in 2022-23.

In the blink of an eye, Kolek became the top dog on one of the best teams in the nation, winning the 2023 Big East Player of the Year after averaging 13 points and 7.5 assists. It didn’t translate to March Madness success, but he had put himself and the program on the map. He did it again as a senior, leading the nation in assists and being named a Consensus Second-Team All-American as he led the Golden Eagles to their first Sweet Sixteen berth since 2013.

It wasn’t just his play on the court that made him a name for himself; it was his personality. Despite being a skinny, undersized white kid from Rhode Island, he was one of the most divisive players in college basketball. You loved him or you hated him. As someone who’s supported Villanova for a good bit, I was in the latter.

There were the BBQ chicken comments, there were the illiteracy jokes, all of them gave him the buzz that any player needs heading into a difficult draft evaluation where NBA teams have been known to overlook college production for traits (ahem, Jalen Brunson).

He absolutely could’ve gone first round, but of course he didn’t. It doesn’t matter how good you are, how much you win, or how ready you look. If you’re a small guard, you’re being underdrafted. So as he slipped into the second round, the Knicks saw an opportunity to add another Big East guard to the collection, trading three future seconds (don’t worry, they acquired five of them about 30 minutes earlier) to select him at No. 34 overall.

Of course, there wasn’t much of a role for him in Year 1. With Tom Thibodeau as coach and the team’s guard depth being fortified with the signing of Cam Payne, Kolek was reduced to garbage time and G-League reps as a rookie, similar to what we saw from Deuce McBride in 2021-22. Like McBride, he dominated down in Westchester, taking advantage of extra reps in any way he could.

It seemed like more of the same heading into Year 2, even with a coaching change, but the retirement of Malcolm Brogdon in the preseason left a void at backup point guard. At least initially, Mike Brown was willing to let the 24-year-old cook.

A 3-5 start with some shaky bench minutes led to Kolek being benched in early November, but he quickly re-emerged after injuries to Landry Shamet, and McBride threw a wrench into the bench. He’d put his extremely mature playmaking skills on display often, even when his defense and shooting inconsistencies threatened to play him off the floor.

There was no better month of his young career than December 2025. Kolek scored 14 and 5 in 20 minutes off the bench in the NBA Cup Final against the Spurs, earning a shoutout from Brunson postgame. Two nights later, in Indiana, with a very shorthanded squad, he put up 16 and 11 to lead an incredible second-half comeback before Brunson put it to bed.

His magnum opus, though, came on the biggest stage. Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. An 18-point fourth quarter deficit. Cue Kolek-sanity.

The best 10 days of his life instantly skyrocketed his popularity and status. He was now entrenched as a fan favorite in New York, regardless of his role for the remainder of the season. That role would shrink as the team got healthier and Jose Alvarado came in from New Orleans, but we’d see him every so often as the Garden would come ablaze. Remember when he had a 50-point day on March 22?

He didn’t play a single meaningful minute in the playoffs, but was one of the biggest benefactors of the countless garbage time. He had an electric fourth quarter in the Game 1 blowout against Philly and nailed a couple threes in Game 4 against Cleveland, prompting Timothee Chalamet to yell out to him courtside.

Kolek has become much more than his on-court basketball contributions. He’s been the ultimate vibes guy who everyone involved loves. In a family that’s had two college hoopers, he’s risen to the top of that. He’s even become the most famous Tyler Kolek!

Congrats, Tyler. You’re a champion.

–

(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)

2026 NBA mock draft roundup: Latest Celtics first-round pick predictions originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The 2026 NBA Draft is less than one week away.

Most of the focus surrounding the Celtics right now is on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors. But the upcoming draft is an important one for the Celtics, who own the No. 27 pick after finishing second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

The C’s could go in several different directions with this pick. The most glaring weakness on the roster is a lack of frontcourt depth. They need a center who can create offense at the rim, block shots and rebound at a high level.

The Celtics offense became a bit too predictable in the 2026 playoffs with the abundance of 3-point shots. They need a different dimension in the paint — a way to create more dunks.

The upcoming draft class offers some intriguing talent at center. Henri Veesaar of North Carolina is probably the best fit for the Celtics with his size (7-foot-1) and offensive skill set. But there’s a chance he won’t be available by the time Boston is on the clock in Round 1.

The Celtics also could just take the best player available, which is often the best strategy late in the first round. Drafting for need is rarely a good idea, and the C’s could use more talent at just about every position. Another wing who can score and bring some athleticism would be a nice addition to this roster, too.

Meleek Thomas of Arkansas is a two-way guard with an exciting skill set. He might be available at No. 27.

What other players should the C’s consider in the first round? Here’s a roundup of expert predictions from recent mock drafts.

Kevin O’Connor, Yahoo! Sports: Henri Veesaar, C, UNC

“After the Nikola Vučević experiment fell short for the Celtics, Veesaar would present a new opportunity. He is an agile big with real shooting touch, connective playmaking, and baseline skills with the ability to set screens and catch lobs. He also offers rim protection and is a locked-in help defender. In all three of his collegiate seasons, he made a massive leap in production each year. But he’s 227 pounds and his lanky frame can get pushed around, plus he still hasn’t fully defined his cornerstone skill.”

Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: Sergio De Larrea, G/SF, Valencia (Spain)

“Let’s go back to the well in Spain for the Celtics after their success last season with Hugo Gonzalez. De Larrea had a strong season for Valencia this season and measured exceedingly well, coming in at 6 feet 6 without shoes. He also plays the kind of style that should blend well with Boston’s scheme as a quick decision-maker, a sharp passer and a terrific shooter from distance. He can play both with and without the ball, and would give Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown space to operate.

“The Celtics also fall into a similar bucket as the Hawks, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Mavericks, where I’ve heard from other teams that they’ve discussed moving up from their current slot in the 20s. There is thought to be a talent dropoff somewhere in this ballpark, and teams are trying to get ahead of it.”

Jeremy Woo, ESPN: Meleek Thomas, PG/SG, Arkansas

After opting to stay in the draft rather than return to Arkansas, Thomas has had a positive predraft process and conducted a wide range of workouts, giving himself a variety of landing spots in the back half of the first round. His size, scoring ability and improving defense have stood out in workout settings and helped him solidify his status in the first.

Boston is a team that annually casts one of the widest nets in predraft workouts and has plenty of depth on the roster, making this pick more of a luxury for them, whether that’s picking a more experienced college player or developing a younger talent like Thomas without the pressure of needing to play right away.

Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Koa Peat, PF, Arizona

Koa Peat staying in the draft indicates either confidence in draft stock or his chance to develop more effectively in the pros. While questions about shooting and fit have reduced interest around the freshman, they may have also helped turn Peat into a buy-low value pick for teams interested in adding a physical, interior scorer and frontcourt passing asset.

The last two months have been mixed for Peat. He had a very productive NCAA tournament (17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds) all the way to the Final Four. He did not help himself at the NBA combine, where he measured 6’7″, bombed shooting drills and finished near the bottom in multiple athletic tests. Scouts aren’t writing off the strong, explosive finisher who can make mid-range shots and move the ball.

Cameron Salerno, CBS Sports: Isaiah Davis, SG, Duke

“Evans went from almost strictly a pure catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist at Duke during his freshman year to a legit No. 2 scoring option on the No. 1 overall seed in college basketball. Evans almost doubled the amount of 3-pointers he took from this year to last and still knocked them down at a 36.1% clip. He will be a Day 1 pick somewhere in the 20s.”

It was celebrity row on wheels Thursday.

The famous Knicks loyalists certainly weren’t going to miss the championship parade through the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate the Knicks’ first NBA championship since 1973.

A Jalen Brunson favorite, Mariska Hargitay made an appearance on the Finals MVP’s float with her son, August, who was wearing a blue shirt that read “Marknickska Hargitay.”

The “Law & Order: SVU” star was seen dancing and waving to fans while on the parade route.

Hargitay arrived at the parade with Brunson’s family as the two have grown close over the past few seasons.

She also said a heartfelt message to the Knicks captain as the two hugged after New York’s thrilling Game 4 win at Madison Square Garden.

“I love you so much, I’m so happy!” Hargitay said.

Also on Brunson’s float was Spike Lee, who has been a staple fan of the franchise, owning season tickets since 1985.

“This is the first I’ve ever been,” Lee said on MSG. “I’ve never been to a parade, ever. I’m glad its this one.”

Tracy Morgan, wearing an Anthony Mason jersey, and Ben Stiller were also on the scene in downtown Manhattan.

Stiller wore a Karl-Anthony Towns shirt and Knicks hat and he could be seen filming, as usual, with his iPhone, for his documentary with A24 and HBO on the Knicks’ title run.

The award-winning actor and comedian also shared a video of a fan dressed as Jalen Brunson that got a chance to FaceTime with the Knicks star.

Timothée Chalamet, who was an integral part of the Knicks’ postgame celebrations in San Antonio, was on a float with his dad during the parade as well.

Walt “Clyde” Frazier was seen leading the way among the Knicks alums in attendance.

He was seen driving a car with his name emblazoned on the side of it.

Patrick Ewing greeted fans before hopping on a car of his own while Carmelo Anthony was waving to fans on a float.

Martha Stewart was also spotted among the crazed Knicks fans and she got a picture with Brunson.

Actor John Turturro was seen with his family to celebrate the Knicks title.

Other faces that popped up were Jon Stewart, Fat Joe, Edie Falco, Steve Schirripa and Matthew Modine.

The parade started in Battery Park and finished at City Hall, where there will be a ceremony emceed by Mike Breen as mayor Zohran Mamdani will give the keys to the city to the team.

Thousands of Knicks fans – decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more – gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team’s NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.

All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos.

“We can do that?” one passerby asked, laughing. “Is this not illegal today?”

“I’m just glad to be a part of this fucking victory,” one of the men atop the police cruiser told the Guardian. “I’m glad to be a part of history!”

Wesley Chow, 27, from Astoria, Queens, first became a Knicks fan in 2012 during “Linsanity”, when the Asian American player Jeremy Lin became a Knicks fan favorite.

“Seeing someone that looked like me play in the league was hella inspiring,” said Chow, who was among the thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to steal even a distant glance of the Knicks players as they moved down a route that was one block away.

Chow added: “The people out here right now, you got people from all backgrounds, all neighborhoods, all to celebrate one thing. It’s crazy.”

The viewing areas for the parade were at capacity as early as 7.25am, per the NYPD, who blocked off access to Broadway. The parade, which kicked off several hours later at 10am, saw people marching from Battery Park to City Hall.

Zohran Mamdani – the mayor, who rightly predicted this would be one of the biggest parades the city had ever seen – was seen dancing on a float in the parade alongside the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns’s teammate OG Anunoby was in the crowds talking to fans, holding both the NBA Cup in-season championship trophy and a bottle of tequila. The Knicks alumnus Carmelo Anthony danced on a float nearby. Longtime celebrity Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Timothée Chalamet were also in attendance.

Children climbed atop cars to chant “fuck you, Wemby!” – a reference to San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. Vendors sold T-shirts out of carts and suitcases, emblazoned with phrases like “CHAMPIONS” and “King Brunson” and “suck my Knick!”

A fan named Alan told the Guardian he came back to New York for the first time in nearly three years to be a part of the crowd. He carried a Polaroid camera and offered people photos for a few dollars each, mostly photographing moms with their sons and dads with their daughters.

“I just wanted to give them a memory of the day,” he said.

Another fan named Erica walked along Church Street with her young son, Milan. Originally from Italy, she’s been a casual Knicks fan for 20 years, but fell in love with the team after watching how happy they made her son. She said the Knicks had brought out the best in New York.

“Everybody is happy for one cause and we need that,” she said.

John Rivera was born and raised in New York, and was 13 when the Knicks last won the championship in 1973. They clinched the finals series this time on his 69th birthday.

“I was there for the Ewing era, when they kept losing against the Bulls, I was there in 99 when I thought they were gonna win it, I was there through it all. I always kept the faith though,” he said.

Rivera worked for NYC transit authority doing subway maintenance for 30 years before retiring to Florida. He flew back to New York this week for a funeral – for a friend he played stickball with growing up – and for the Puerto Rican Day parade in the Bronx. Being among Knicks fans on Thursday morning reminded him of how much he loved this city.

“It makes me feel wanted, it makes me feel like a part of the city again,” he said.

Barbara Etheredge, 33, from Newark, New Jersey, stood on a power box, with friends hanging from the traffic signs above. She’s a new Knicks fan, falling in love with the team through her boyfriend – who was among a crowd of fans who commandeered a nearby sanitation truck, chanting “LET’S GO KNICKS.”

“Everyone out here strangers,” she said of the sprawling crowd below her, “But we family now.”

Her newfound love for the Knicks is just as permanent as her newfound love for her boyfriend, she said. “He’s not going nowhere. I’m done. If he’s a Knicks fan I’m staying with them for ever. I’m loyal!”

The sweetness of Thursday’s celebration hardly ended there as the now-viral “Baklava Guy” – who was previously seen giving out his eponymous dessert to Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden. – doled out baklava to fans at the parade.

Roy Donk, the owner of Good Baklava, told CBS: “There’s just special moments in New York history which we’re living right now, and I usually sell it, but there’s no chance of selling it right now.”

Benny Tuchman, a lifelong fan from Westchester, was observing the Shabbos with family and friends on the evening the Knicks won game 5.

“We had to wait until the second quarter to watch,” he remembered, laughing. When they finally turned the TV on the Knicks were down 15. “But we knew 15 was nothing for this team,” he said, referring to a series of miraculous comebacks during the playoffs.

He knew coming to the parade that he probably wouldn’t get close enough to see the team. Looking out at the thousands of his fellow fans he said: “This is why we came. I just wanted to see the people. I just wanted to see everyone happy.” His friend chimed in: “This is what makes sports great.” Another friend added: “It’s the equalizer.”

Their Knicks mania couldn’t be topped!

Diehard fans climbed scaffolding, fire escapes, street signs — and even precarious treetops nearly two stories high — in desperate attempts to catch glimpses of their NBA champions parading down the Canyon of Heroes for the first time Thursday.

Wild video from Lower Manhattan showed revelers resorting to acrobatics almost fit for the basketball court to get a view of their hometown team’s first-ever ticker-tape parade, which an estimated 2 million people attended.

Follow The Post’s live updates from the Knicks Championship parade for the latest city chaos, celeb sightings and sports reaction.

One maniac in a Knicks jersey dared to scale to the very top of a tree, where the branches seemed dangerously thin.

Elsewhere, a mass of fans decked out in orange and blue could be seen running around on top of scaffolding, hyping up the ecstatic mob below, video from the street shows. 

Others dared to hop up onto fire escapes for a better view, with video showing fans helping each other climb up.

In one chaotic scene, dozens of fanatics even packed on top of a pair of NYPD vans and a Department of Sanitation truck.

At least 20 revelers climbed on top of the South Ferry Station during the Knicks’ championship celebration — and ignored an MTA worker who pleaded with them to get down as they chanted “Knicks in five.”

Hundreds more could be seen climbing balconies, light posts and trees.

One fan wearing a Knicks jersey and a Batman mask was spotted watching the chaos from the solitude of a rooftop.

Luka Bouras, 15, of Westchester, climbed a tree where he stayed for hours — but instead of Jaylen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns, all he was able to make out from so far away was “some tall ass dudes.”

“It’s the first championship in 53 years. I’m not gonna lie, I cried a little bit when they won, and what better way to celebrate than climb a tree?” the teen said.

But NYPD officers seemed to be letting rowdy Knicks fans slide as long as they didn’t get too disruptive

Cops told some fans to get off the scaffolding with a man standing on top of a garbage bin, downing a beer, but they were not about to blow up the celebration.

“What am I going to do?” an officer said. “He is not killing anybody.”

While most of the climbing chaos was in good fun, at least one led to an X-rated brawl between two women.

A wild video captured the moment the claws came atop the Trinity Place and Thames Street corner signs when one woman seemingly scolded another for twerking on the pedestrian signal — and tried to block her climb back down.

The dancing fan grabbed the jersey-wearing woman by the neck and ripped her off the street sign, but the tossed woman popped back up and ripped the lady’s pants down, revealing her Knicks-orange thong, and pounded her buttocks.

But the unbothered woman stayed on top of the street sign and began twerking as the crowd went wild.

The New York Knicks Championship Parade down Manhattan’s “Canyon of Heroes” to celebrate their 2026 NBA Championship, Thursday, June 18, 2026.

Knicks star Mikal Bridges brought his dog to the ticker-tape parade Thursday, following through on a plan he first revealed for Sonny — his 8-year-old Labrador — on “Good Morning America” earlier this week.

“I just want to bring my dog on the float. That’s it,” Bridges said.

In the lead-up to the parade, though, concerns rose about whether Sonny would be able to attend.

It wasn’t until Wednesday that Bridges confirmed the Labrador would be in the parade through an Instagram story.

“It’s official. Sonny’s got a spot on the float,” he said.

Sonny has been seen throughout the Knicks’ celebrations, most notably dancing with Bridges during his Instagram livestream on Monday.

Knicks coach Mike Brown will likely enjoy Sonny’s presence at the parade after he went viral post Game 5 for singing “Who Let the Dogs Out” in the locker room with the team, during the trophy ceremony, and in the postgame press conference.

“We got some dogs on this team, baby,” Brown said after the 94-90 win against the Spurs.

The head coach also joined in on the fans’ rendition of the song before the parade began.

Bridges was one of those critical pieces for the Knicks, averaging 13.5 points per game in the playoffs, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and one steal.

The guards’ play was particularly important in a one-point Game 2 victory, in which he had 20 points on 61.5 percent shooting, adding six rebounds and six assists.

It was a good response after fans were getting on Bridges for the first five-round picks they gave up to get him.

“The times I’ve been struggling, the fans were on me — the thing is about me, I want to always be better,” Bridges said. “So whatever, how they feel, I always want to be better. They keep pushing me and if they strongly believe that we have a chance every year and if they strongly believe I have a chance to be better, I’m already thinking about that.”

The lucky bag is the exception to the rules.

The millions of fans who packed the Canyon of Heroes for the Knicks parade were prohibited from bringing any type of bag — but Jordyn Woods was allowed to bring her iconic orange clutch.

Karl-Anthony Towns’ fiancée shared the orange ostrich version of her Woods by Jordyn Tux Clutch Mini with Mayor Mamdani, who was pictured posing with it on their float.

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Hizzoner was seen beaming ear-to-ear as he held up the famous purse.

Towns, with a cigar dangling from his mouth, raised the lucky handbag to the crowd as his other hand clutches the NBA trophy.

The bag was seemingly the only one allowed through the parade’s access points — bags in any form were included on the restricted list, which also included “weapons,” pets, umbrellas, coolers and more.

Woods’ orange clutch became famous during the Knicks’ postseason run after Woods sported it at the team’s first game of the playoffs.

The model, 28, told Vogue she made the bag just for the NBA playoffs — though it retails for $125.

It was dubbed a good luck charm as the team soared to their first NBA championship in 53 years.

“Once playoffs start, everything becomes part of the ritual if we keep winning,” she said at the time.

“At this point, I’m not risking changing anything.”

Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson brought his family to the Knicks’ championship parade Thursday.

Brunson, the MVP of the 2026 NBA Finals, and his wife, Ali, were atop the Knicks’ bus with their daughter, Jordyn James, who turns 2 in July.

The youngster sported a tank top that said, “New York my dad’s the MVP Hallelujah.”

Ali wore a matching white tank with Brunson’s No. 11 and an orange apple on the front.

At one point, Brunson hopped down from the team’s bus and walked with the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy along the parade route.

Knicks WAGs, Jordyn Woods, fiancée of center Karl-Anthony Towns, and Shannon Hart, wife of guard Josh Hart, were all on the championship bus.

Woods brought her “lucky bag” that she wore to throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs — and Towns and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were posing with it.

Brunson also posed for photos with his good friend, “Law & Order: SVU” actress Mariska Hargitay, television personality Martha Stewart, New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Other celebrities at the parade included Knicks superfans, director Spike Lee, actors Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, and rapper Fat Joe.

Follow The Post’s live updates from the Knicks Championship parade for the latest city chaos, celeb sightings and sports reaction.

The ticker-tape parade was set to end at City Hall in Lower Manhattan, where a special civic ceremony would take place.

The Knicks beat the Spurs in five games the 2026 NBA Finals to clinch their first championship in 53 years.

Kyrie Irving hit the shot that helped deliver Cleveland its long-awaited championship.

A decade later, he was missing from the reunion.

Several members of the Cavaliers’ 2016 title team, including LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, and J.R. Smith, have reunited in the United Kingdom for an ex-teammate getaway built around golf and sightseeing.

Irving, though, has not been part of the visible festivities.

Smith appeared to address the speculation in an Instagram comment under a post about the reunion, though he did not mention Irving by name.

“Missing none,” Smith wrote. “He was invited and ghosted us all. So stop with that bs.”

The comment quickly drew attention because of Irving’s central role in one of the most famous Finals runs in NBA history.

The Cavaliers became the first team ever to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals, stunning the 73-win Warriors in 2016 and delivering Cleveland its first major professional sports title since 1964.

Irving provided the signature moment.

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With less than a minute left in Game 7, he buried the go-ahead 3-pointer over Stephen Curry — a shot that remains one of the defining plays in Cavaliers history.

Irving and James were part of three straight Finals teams together in Cleveland, winning the title in 2016 before Irving requested a trade the following year.

He was eventually sent to the Celtics in 2017 after a controversial trade request, ending his six-season run with the Cavaliers.

His relationship with Cleveland has at times appeared complicated since then, though the importance of the 2016 championship has never faded.

That is why fans quickly noticed his absence from the U.K. trip.

Smith’s comment suggested Irving had the chance to join his former teammates but did not attend.

Irving has not publicly addressed his absence.

For now, the reunion rolls on without the player who hit the shot that helped finish Cleveland’s historic comeback.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers sent De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings, the “prize” of the trade was getting Keon Ellis in return. Ellis looked poised to be a disruptive defender on the perimeter and someone who could reliably knock down threes enough to keep opposing defenses honest. The return of Ellis was far from what I think the Cavaliers front office and fans were hoping for.

Regular Season Stats

• 8.3 points
• 2.8 rebounds
• 2.4 assists
• 49.1% FG
• 35.5% 3PT FG
• 81.6% FT

Ellis was already falling out of the rotation in Sacramento when the Cavs traded for him. Cleveland was looking to add more backcourt depth in both Ellis and Dennis Schroder. Ellis gave Cleveland another disruptive defender, as Ellis came to Cleveland as being the only player other than Detroit’s Ausar Thompson to average 2.0 steals and 1 block per 36 minutes.

The idea of Ellis was more impactful than actuality. Ellis never felt like he really found his footing in Cleveland. The rotations were constantly in flux so the synergy with lineups was never going to develop. Cleveland’s offense is built with the motion and ball movement that should have allowed Ellis to flourish as a good three-point shooter (40.7% career average).

He registered the lowest three-point percentage of his career this year. In the regular season, the Cavaliers were willing to play through the struggles at times. Disruptive defenders like Ellis have more staying power as their effort stands out. However, the main issue with Ellis came once the postseason came around.

Ellis was in the initial rotation for the Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors, but made little impact. He was then used sparingly in the second and third rounds before playing 15 minutes in Game 4 against the New York Knicks, when that series was already over. In short, he wasn’t a playoff contributor in any meaningful way.

The defense wasn’t as impactful as it needed to be to justify more minutes, particularly on a defense that was comfortable switching most actions. This forced Ellis to make defensive plays off-ball, and he didn’t provide enough offensively to distinguish himself from being just another guy on the floor.

It was disappointing to see Ellis cosplay as Isaac Okoro in the postseason. Defenses let Ellis fire away from three and a -31 in his limited minutes during the playoffs. A -141 in the regular season is also not great from someone whose calling card is to wreak havoc on offenses.

Ellis, who is now slated to be a free agent this summer, has forced the Cavaliers to make some decisions about whether to buy the dip and see if this was a blip in Ellis’s short career. It might not take much for the Cavs to wave the white flag on the experiment.

The Cavaliers appear to be focused on retaining Dean Wade over Ellis. If this bears true, the swing for Ellis and Schroder will be more remembered for the Schroder of it all. Which, if we are being honest, is a massive flop of a return.

Grade: D+