Not Just Yet, Wemby.
The New York Knicks closed out the NBA Finals series in San Antonio to win the NBA championship after 53 years.
The New York Knicks have finally done it.
The city has been on a 53-year championship drought. The last title that they won in 1973 included a bunch of hall of famers: Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, Dave DeBusschere, and Knicks legend Willis Reed. Even Phil Jackson was part of the team.
Since then, New York has had great players over the decades but always came up short. Bernard King in the 80s, Patrick Ewing in the 90s, and Carmelo Anthony in the 00s, but the results were not there. The closest the Knicks ever came to winning it all was 1999, when they lost to the David Robinson-led San Antonio Spurs with a rookie Tim Duncan. After that, things got pretty boring real quick at Madison Square Garden, except during the short-lived Linsanity run, courtesy of the Harvard hero Jeremy Lin.
The Knicks were not even the heavy favorites to win it all this year. When the season started, everyone wanted to award the Oklahoma City Thunder the championship already. And then the Detroit Pistons went on a hot streak, and everyone thought they were the ones coming out of the eastern conference. And then, the San Antonio Spurs beat the hell out of the OKC Thunder, and everyone thought Wemby and company were winning it all, until they threw final games where they were leading significantly.
The Spurs were leading by 15 at one point, but their decision to hunt for threes and settle for jumpers cost them the game, AGAIN. In contrast, Jalen Brunson kept attacking the rim. Ironically, only the rookie Dylan Harper looked like he was in rhythm. The other Spurs, including Wemby, looked out of sorts. Call it what you may–fatigue or inexperience–the Spurs did not deserve that title yet. The very young Spurs team will have plenty of time to figure out their identity, which is important in high pressure playoff moments. Experts are also expecting roster changes.
Yet here we are. Jalen Brunson with the Finals MVP trophy, the Villanova trio winning yet again after that NCAA crown 10 years ago. Karl Anthony Towns (who fouled out in this game) finally getting vindication and being successful against Wemby after enduring “softie” and “sassy” taunts the past years.
“New York, I apologize, it took so long, but here we are,” says owner James Dolan, which is true. Coach Mike Brown thinks the Knicks players are “dawgs,” and it is also true.
New York City is going to be on fire tonight. The revelry will be insane, the people will be welcoming their kings like heroes, and deservedly so. The Spurs will have to do some introspection and watch some game film. They will learn from this loss.
There are no more games. Thus concludes the NBA 2025-2026 season.
The New York Knicks, champions again? What a fantasy.
DAILY FANTASY
The following weeks will be the past season in review focusing on teams and player stats, and a coverage of offseason moves which will affect fantasy stats and rankings.
