The Knicks' OG Anunoby is known for being soft-spoken and reserved off of the court. He is often seen wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up, either heading to or from games. On the court, he is known as a defensive menace, a sharpshooter, one of the keys to New York's success. As quiet as Anunoby may be off the floor, he just loudly stated the Knicks' goals this year: win a championship.
Speaking to Forbes on stage in an interview, Anunoby stated that he and all of his teammates have a collective goal of winning a title next season.
The Knicks are all on the same page
Anunoby isn't the first one to state that the lone goal of the season is to win a championship. During his introductory press conference, Mike Brown stated that the goal "is to build a sustainable winning culture that produces championships."
Winning a championship takes buy-in. It takes a roster and coaching staff who are willing to sacrifice, to set aside their individual goals in order to achieve the ultimate goal. It has quickly become clear that the Knicks are buying into that collective goal.
Mike Brown has taken the time to connect with every player. Not necessarily on a basketball level, but on a human level. Those are the crucial first steps that are required to build the trust that is needed to win a title. Coaches need to be able to trust players on the floor to execute game plans, to make the right pass, to execute sets on defense, and on offense.
That said, players need to trust coaches, too. They need to trust that their coaches are putting them in the right situations to succeed. That they are prepared. That they are heard. Early on, it seems like Brown is creating the foundation for that sort of a relationship, and Anunoby's comments show it.
Now comes the hard part
Creating this culture means something; it matters. Hearing Anunoby state their collective team goal loudly and clearly means something. However, that is the easy part. Words are one thing; the hard part is backing them up.
The Knicks are in a great spot. They have filled their biggest holes in the offseason with multiple key signings, they found a coach who they think can optimize their roster, and they still have all of the key rotation pieces that brought them to the Eastern Conference Finals. Their goal is clear; now they have to back it up.