Though the rivalry between the New York Knicks and Miami Heat may have been hottest back in the 1990s, here in the mid-2020s, it's clear there's a bit of a resurgence brewing.
Following their hard-fought playoff bout back in 2023, this dormant contention between the clubs has shown signs of life, and now, heading into 2026-27, the temperature seems to be gradually rising.
During Miami's media day on Monday, recently acquired franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo found out firsthand how his new teammates feel about the Knicks.
When describing New York as the best team in the league, fellow Heat star Bam Adebayo scoffed into the microphone and smirked in response, prompting the two-time MVP to say, "I know you didn't like that. It's a rivalry, right?"
Despite his dismissal of Giannis' remarks, the fact of the matter, New York very much deserves to be viewed as the ball club all others should be stacking themselves up against. After all, they're the reigning NBA Champions for God's sake.
Unfortunately, Bam's subtle slight is merely yet another sign that the rest of the league, be it rivals or not, isn't giving the Knicks the kind of respect most champions generally deserve.
Knicks don't believe they're viewed as the 'hunted' despite championship
Even a truly historic NBA Finals run still isn't enough for the rest of the league to give New York their flowers.
This was something noticed mere days after their title run came to a close, with the oddsmakers dropping them below several other ball clubs in their 2027 championship projections and, clearly, just weeks before the regular season tip-off.
Of course, fans and pundits aren't the only ones reading into this. Even Knicks players have taken notice.
While attending this year's US Open, Josh Hart shared in the match's media booth that he doesn't think "anyone is picking us to win again."
Though some may have initially seen this as a bit of hyperbole, the more time passes, the more examples pop up that only strengthen his belief. Bam's reaction on Monday is just the latest to surface.
Fortunately, instead of wallowing in self-pity, Hart believes this disrespect could be used as "fuel" for his Knicks, suggesting that instead of feeling like they're the hunted, they can re-adopt the mentality of being one of the hunters.
As of this writing, outlets such as FanDuel Sportsbook have the Knicks as low as third in the title-odds assesment, placing them below the Thunder (plus-240) and Spurs (plus-280), and tying them with the 76ers (plus-1000).
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