It took 53 years, but none of that matters as the Knicks are NBA champions once again after defeating the Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals.
Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP.
The Knicks had an amazing run in the playoffs. After going down 2-1 to the Hawks, they would go 14-1 the rest of the way. They would finish the postseason 16-3 (.842), becoming the 10th team in league history to have a .840 or better winning percentage in the playoffs.
Additionally, they won a postseason record nine straight games on the road. The Knicks’ 9-1 road record (.900) in the 2026 playoffs ranks second among NBA champions, behind only the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers (8-0).
New York had a never-say-die attitude in the postseason, and they are the first team since 1971 to win the NBA Finals after trailing by 10 or more points in every game of the series, including coming back from an NBA Finals record 29-point deficit in Game 4.
Back to Brunson, he is the fourth player in NBA history to score 45 or more points in an NBA Finals-clinching game, and his 163 points in the series are the most by a Knicks player in a single NBA Finals.
The Knicks are probably not one of the greatest teams of all time, but their playoff run is probably one of the greatest in postseason history.
You need proof?
The Knicks finished the 2026 playoffs with a point differential of plus-283, the highest in a single postseason in NBA history. Outside of the first round against the Hawks, this team looked unbeatable and unstoppable.
Obviously, that is a credit to head coach Mike Brown, who replaced Tom Thibodeau in the offseason and helped this team take the next step. Furthermore, Brunson was Brunson, and the starting lineup of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Karl Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart all played their part.
New York can now celebrate because the monkey is off their backs.
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