With their Game 5 victory, the New York Knicks became the NBA's eighth different champion in the last eight seasons. After feeling like Cavaliers vs. Warriors was stuck on repeat for years on end, fans have been treated to an impressive level of parity.
Oddsmakers already have the Boston Celtics favored to win the Eastern Conference next season, and both the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder as having better chances of claiming the Larry O'Brien out of the West. But everyone was wrong about the Knicks on their way to this year's championship, and their core seemingly has a real opportunity to prevent the eight-year trend from continuing.
New York's starting five is 30 years old, or younger, with the exception of 31-year-old Josh Hart. And even with James Dolan's recent comments about the second apron, they should be able to return most of their rotation of playoff reserves. They won't be cap crunched into trade core pieces — nor do they have any expected to drop off in the face of Father Time. The Knicks' front office built a sustainable winner. As a result, they have a real chance to author the league's first repeat in almost a decade.
A Knicks title repeat would be legacy-defining for everyone involved
Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges, won two NCAA Championships during their time at Villanova. Now, they've won at basketball's highest level. And, just like in college, they seem set to run it back with the majority of their most important players.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are also in a similar situation, and would have had a much better chance at repeating as champions this season if not for injuries to their second and third best offensive creators in Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell. Luckily for the Knicks with regard to OKC's true title odds, though — we'll never know.
The Boston Celtics traded both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the same offseason to get out ahead of their cap crunch underneath the second apron. Jayson Tatum's injury catalyzed that process, but it was coming regardless.
All of the champions from 2023, 2022, 2021, or 2020 were still led by the same superstar as of last season, but none were able to beat the younger, better teams making names for themselves on either side of the bracket.
The point is that New York's roster is far from aging out of contention. And even if it takes a momentary dip over the second apron, they should be able to run back the vast majority of their 2025-26 squad that ended a 53-year championship drought.
They're certainly up against a solid historical precedent with regards to a repeat, but going back-to-back as champs was never going to be easy. Why can't this group be the one to make it happen?
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