Hip-hip hooray! The New York Knickerbockers are NBA champions once again!
It only took 53 years. The last time the Big Apple celebrated an NBA title was the same birth year listed on my driver's license.
Save for losing two games to the woeful Atlanta Hawks in the opening round, the Knicks stomped their way to the NBA Finals by sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, respectively.
Then, in the battle for all the marbles—the Larry O'Brien Trophy—the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 4-1, ending that 53-year title drought with a gritty 94-90 victory in Game 5.
While the 2026 NBA Finals were defined by intense defense and dramatic momentum swings, the numbers reveal exactly how New York managed to bring the championship back to Madison Square Garden.
Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was the unquestioned star of the series. The Knicks floor general averaged more than 32 points per game and punctuated his performance with a 45-point masterpiece in the title-clinching Game 5.
His teammate, Karl-Anthony Towns, emerged as a major factor in helping contain Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. While Towns' scoring numbers were modest, his rebounding, defense, and physical play proved invaluable throughout the series. Some would say the Dominican national player maybe The Alien’s kryptonite.
For Raptor OG Anunoby supplied critical offense and defense, including the out-of-this world flying tip-in in the Knicks’ 107-106 Game 4 win, while Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart embraced the dirty-work assignments that helped New York overcome San Antonio's size advantage.
The only Debbie Downer for Filipino basketball fans was the limited playing time received by our kababayan, Jordan Clarkson. The veteran guard, nicknamed The Flamethrower, appeared sparingly off the bench as Knicks coach Mike Brown leaned heavily on his starters during the championship run.
Brown, of course, had the added intrigue of facing former Sacramento Kings star De'Aaron Fox, whom he coached during his time in Sacramento. That connection became fodder for social media conspiracy theorists after Fox's late miscue in Game 4 helped fuel New York's historic comeback.
For the Spurs, Wembanyama was magnificent despite the defeat. The 7-foot-4 phenom averaged a double-double and swatted shots at an astonishing rate, constantly altering New York's offensive approach.
Clarkson’s fellow Fil-Am Dylan Harper emerged as San Antonio's most reliable perimeter scorer, while last year’s Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, provided support in a series that was more competitive than the 4-1 result might suggest.
Fox, in particular, found himself in the crosshairs of armchair detectives online after the Game 4 when he did the ant-Ginobili play by trying to score on a fastbreak layup that was ultimately blocked by Anunoby that set up the latter’s heroics.
Still, the reality was far less dramatic. The Spurs squandered a 29-point lead against a Knicks team that simply refused to quit. And for Wemby fans, he also missed two crucial free throws in the last two minutes of the contest (he also didn’t shake hands with the Knicks after the game, another minus pogi points for me).
Though the Spurs ultimately fell short, Wembanyama delivered a defensive masterclass. His presence forced New York into difficult possessions and changed the geometry of the court whenever he was on the floor.
Me thinks the main reason the Knicks managed to overcome San Antonio's height advantage was their relentless perimeter defense.
The trio of Anunoby, Bridges, and the ever-plucky Hart constantly disrupted passing lanes and turned defensive stops into transition opportunities. Their hustle helped fuel a Knicks team that repeatedly erased double-digit deficits throughout the Finals, including the aforementioned historic 29-point comeback in Game 4—the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
Brunson stood at the center of it all. Whether it was a clutch jumper, a drive into traffic, or simply calming his teammates during tense moments, he delivered every time the Knicks needed him most.
Will the Knicks repeat?
I hope not, because I fully expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to come back with a vengeance next season in the Association. And if Wembanyama somehow grows to 8 feet tall, the rest of the NBA may as well wave the white flag.
Also, who knows? Maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo will be wearing a Miami Heat jersey next season.
For now, though, the Larry O'Brien Trophy is finally heading back to Manhattan, and Knicks fans can stop dusting off VHS tapes of Walt Frazier and Willis Reed.
At least until next season.
