Before Leon Rose, Tom Thibodeau, Mike Brown, Jalen Brunson, and the rest of the New York Knicks' recent saviors came around to right the ship, the team was previously synonymous with nonsensical, gut-wrenching, and sometimes tragically cruel losses. They did not have the reputation of an NBA Championship-winning team, but rather like those of other local laughingstocks like the New York Jets and Mets.
They changed that this spring. Attempts from national media to use the word “Knicks” as an insult have all fallen flat, because this specific New York team displayed what they were capable of, to an international audience, throughout the 2026 NBA Playoffs. These Knicks are resilient. They delivered a title in the same season that began with a coaching change, due to what Rose called their singular focus on winning one.
And they’re the exact kind of group that can overcome the adversity and tension that a lack of long-term financial security can create in their locker room. Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride may not have new contracts just yet. That won't stop them from being the players Mike Brown, and Knick fans, need them to be amid their title defense efforts.
Knicks’ resilience was on full display in final two series of title run
For this particular scribe, the “knew it” moment with regard to the New York Knicks’ chances as NBA Championship contenders came in Game 1 of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks had home court advantage for the third straight series. The Cavaliers were coming fresh off of a seven-game series against the young and physical Detroit Pistons.
That didn’t stop Cleveland from amassing a 22-point lead at Madison Square Garden. New York had their work cut out for them — and were also the ones holding the proverbial scissors. The Knicks, one Jalen Brunson bucket over James Harden at a time, closed the gap and won the game in overtime.
The successful comeback gave the Knicks their first of four wins, in just as many tries, against the Cavaliers. And it showcased championship levels of persistence and will to win.
Those came in handy seven games later, when New York found themselves down 29 points to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. They had just dropped the previous game, at home, after winning both of the first two games of the series on the road. Another loss would tie the series, going back to Texas.
Instead, the Knicks found a way to win. They closed the 29-point gap and came out on top. They needed just one more victory to end a 53-year title drought. They earned it, on the road, on the back of Jalen Brunson’s legendary 45-point closeout performance.
At the risk of cutting a WWE promo, this group is the exact type of team that can overcome the challenges of extended contract negotiations. Their first real test comes on Tuesday, October 20 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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