Lace Code readers, we are so back!!!
I have been waiting to write this because I’ve been overwhelmed with emotions and so much joy. It felt right to write this today, the same day as the parade.
I truly never thought I would say this in my lifetime because of everything that seemed to surround the Knicks for so many years, but the NEW YORK KNICKS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS!!!
I cannot tell you the amount of excitement that filled my body on Saturday night when they won, or the overwhelming joy I have felt since. It feels like standing on top of a mountain and finally getting to enjoy the view after a lifetime of climbing.
My team is no longer the laughingstock of the league. On the contrary, they are the champions of the 2026 NBA season.
Watching that entire game, but especially the fourth quarter, was an emotional rollercoaster. The nerves and anxiety I was feeling were absolutely insane, and I wasn’t even on the court. But that’s what sports fandom does to you. That’s what being a Knicks fan does to you.
It shows just how much I love this team.
I never really felt that exact feeling with the Mets in 2015 or the Rangers in 2014.
Don’t get me wrong—I was nervous during those runs. I was anxious. I cared deeply. But those teams were fighting to stay alive. This time was different.
This time, my team was one win away from being crowned champions.
The Knicks weren’t trying to avoid elimination.
They were trying to finish the job.
And they did.
The Finals themselves were incredible.
The moment that will live forever, though, was Game 4.
The Knicks trailed by 29 points and somehow found a way to come back and win. It was one of the craziest games I have ever watched.
The OG Anunoby tip-in is already legendary. Knicks fans will talk about that play for decades.
That comeback will be remembered forever.
Most fans thought the series was headed back to San Antonio tied 2-2. The Knicks had other plans.
In the second half, they held the Spurs to just 30 points while scoring 58 themselves. They completely flipped the game and pulled off a comeback that felt impossible.
What’s funny is that throughout the playoffs, it felt like the Knicks were constantly fighting back from double-digit deficits.
They never panicked.
They never quit.
They were resilient.
What was crazy to me was how disrespected the Knicks were entering the Finals.
I don’t put a ton of stock into betting odds because sportsbooks aren’t always right, and I think people sometimes use them as the ultimate measure of a team.
But it was still wild.
The Knicks hadn’t lost a game since the Atlanta series. They were steamrolling teams and winning by huge margins. If I remember correctly, they entered the Finals with the highest average margin of victory in the playoffs.
Yet somehow the Spurs were favorites.
Now, San Antonio is a great team. They absolutely deserved respect.
But how was a team on that kind of run being viewed as the underdog?
The main argument was that the Knicks had an “easy path” to the Finals.
While the Western Conference is usually tougher top-to-bottom, the Knicks weren’t just beating teams—they were dominating them.
Once they got past Atlanta, they took off.
Especially in Game 6 down in Atlanta. The Knicks put an absolute beating on the Hawks and carried that momentum into the second round against Philadelphia, then into the Eastern Conference Finals against Cleveland.
And they brought that same energy into the Finals, winning the first two games before responding after Game 3 and closing the series out in five.
Winning a championship in any sport, at any level, is never easy.
The Knicks are no exception.
Did they enter the Finals on an incredible run?
Absolutely.
Did they face adversity throughout the playoffs and especially during the Finals?
Without question.
But what made this team special was their ability to fight through it together.
Every player played a role.
When Jalen Brunson struggled, somebody else stepped up.
When others struggled, Brunson carried the load.
It was a complete team effort.
You can debate who was the most valuable player.
You can debate who was the best player.
You can debate who had the biggest moment.
But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that they brought a championship back to Madison Square Garden and back to New York City for the first time in 53 years.
Looking ahead, if the Knicks can keep most of this core together and navigate the salary cap and apron restrictions, they absolutely have a chance to repeat.
Just imagine that.
This championship already broke a 53-year drought.
A repeat would take this group to an entirely different level in NBA history.
Their legacies are already secure in New York.
Another title would elevate them even further.
Brunson’s closeout performance was legendary. He dropped 45 points when it felt like nobody else could buy a bucket. But even then, the supporting cast made the plays necessary to secure the win.
It wasn’t easy.
It wasn’t stress-free.
It was nerve-racking.
But it was worth every second.
I am just grateful that I got to witness the first Knicks championship in 53 years.
Hopefully it won’t take another 53 years for the next one.
For now, though, nobody can take this away from us.
The Knicks are NBA champions.
And Knicks fans are going to enjoy every second of it.
KNICKS IN FIVE.
– Jett Garden
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