The New York Knicks had the entire summer to bask in the glory of their NBA Championship victory. The 2026-27 season set to truly start soon, meaning it's just about time for Mike Brown's group to leave that celebrating in the past and move onto their title defense efforts.
The Knicks won't be able to turn the page just yet, though. They have an NBA Opening Day matchup, against the Philadelphia 76ers, all set for next Tuesday. LeBron James will play in his first regular season game as a member of the Sixers. Before things tip off, though, he'll watch a banner go up at Madison Square Garden.
Even though Mitchell Robinson won't be protecting the rim for New York, James is expecting the league's reigning champions to pick up right where they left off. The all-time great told Steve Nash as much on their podcast, Mind the Game. James and Nash, previewing the season ahead, were both complementary of the Knicks, their mentality as a team, and how free agent additions like Andre Drummond can help them stay on top.
Knicks' offseason additions will be hungry to help them win
On the podcast, James praised Drummond's athleticism and ability to rebound the basketball. More importantly, however, he spoke to the hunger that the center would bring to his role.
"When you experience that success... They don't have many guys that give me 'entitled,' like, 'oh, we won, so we expect to win.' They give me guys- humble guys. 'Let's go back to work, again.' So, they'll be right back there," James told Nash.
Drummond began his offseason by declaring that he was going to stop settling for NBA contracts that did not pay him his true worth. The Mount Vernon, NY native spoke in a now-deleted video about feeling like he was still paying the price — literally — of a minimum contract he had signed years before. By giving teams an excuse to see him as being on the fringes of the league, Drummond felt he had helped create the adverse circumstances of his future free agencies.
James and Nash didn't have any commentary on 25-year-old James Wiseman, who won the Knicks' training camp battle and claimed their only available roster spot. The former No. 2 overall draft pick was on the verge of being pushed out of the NBA entirely before finding an opportunity with the Knicks.
For whatever it's worth, Wiseman will also have extra motivation to prove himself and fit in as part of a winning ball club. And it's exactly what the Knicks will need. Brown and his staff were likely never looking for a center to come in and displace Karl-Anthony Towns. Drummond and Wiseman, however, will be set to try and give Towns the support he needs.
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