New York Knickbockers
Long time NBA fan here, since 1996 when Jordan beat Seattle and Kobe got drafted.
I just want to say, seeing the Knicks win the championship has been the most enjoyable championship I've ever witnessed from a team that wasn't my favorite. Still a big Lakers fan but hard not to have sympathy for the Knicks after 15 years of living here and knowing they've been a joke almost my entire life since I turned age 10. Their fans have been waiting a long time.
You had so many awful eras or moemnts of Knicks basketball from 2000 until now, up until now. Just gonna jog through it by memory.
The Isiah Thomas era. The Anucha Brown scandal. Stephon Marbury coming back "home" on a loaded contract and immediately becoming a vaseline eating cancer. Eddy Curry and his awful contract and him allegedly sexually harassing (he disputes this and I want to believe him) his limo driver. Drafting Federic Weis.
The Carmelo era. Amare's uninsured contract. Dumping Jeremy Lin. The horendous Bargnani trade. Some nice moments but never a real contender.
The Phil Jackson era. The failed promise of Kristaps 'Tingus Pingus' Porzingis. Trading him away for peanuts. Drafting Frank Ntilikina.
The Leon Rose era. Lots of nice trades, high expectations. Burning all lotto picks on guys like Kevin Knox and Obi Toppin when they so obviously should have taken Haliburton. Choking against the Pacers while Haliburton--who they should have drafted!!!--does the choke sign with Reggie Miller courtside is so many layers of pain.
That 29 point G4 comeback and that OG Anunoby tip-in will live in my head forever. It reminded me of everything I love about the game of basketball. Team effort, big runs that make the arena shake, taking momentum away through sheer will. Respect to the 2026 Knicks. I suspect that even if they only win this one ring, they will be one of the most memorable one title teams ever like the 2016 Cubs, 1985 Bears, or 1993 NY Rangers. They still talk about those teams.
I have to admitted, as someone who's lived her much longer than he's ever anticipated, I've always had mixed feelings about this city. Some parts I love, some parts I don't. I still always call myself a So-Cal guy. But that moment was the most connected I've ever felt to this city, seeing the Garden light up the way it did after the game 4 comeback.
Good for you New York, enjoy the parade.