Knicks win NBA title: Commemorating the championship team

A photo montage looking back on the NBA Finals as the Knicks beat the Spurs in five games for their first title since 1973. Credit: Newsday Staff

Updated June 15, 2026 7:36 am

Newsday's Knicks commemorative section wraparound cover.

It took 53 years, but New York is on top of the basketball world once again. A thrilling playoff run complete with blowout wins, heart-stopping comebacks and record-breaking performances culminated in the Knicks winning the NBA championship, their first since 1973 and third in franchise history. Newsday's special commemorative section is here for Knicks fans to forever relive the thrills, excitement and history that came with their team's incredible postseason.

The night the Knicks won the NBA title

Led by Jalen Brunson (and his 45 points) once again, the Knicks staged another cardiac comeback, a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

These Knicks are no longer just players on the team. They are legends in New York.

Who was the MVP of the NBA Finals? Take a guess.

It had been 5,241 days since one of New York's MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL teams won it all. The Knicks not only brought that winning feeling back to the metro area, but they did so in record-breaking fashion.

How they got there

Eastern Conference first round vs. Atlanta Hawks

Game 1: Brunson gets things going early
Game 2: A fourth-quarter comeback, but not by the Knicks
Game 3: The Knicks' only series deficit
Game 4: The fire is lit as the Knicks roll
Game 5: Brunson's 39 sets up the clincher
Game 6: A 51-point closeout

Newsday's Knicks commemorative section poster of NBA Finals MVP Jalen... — Newsday's Knicks commemorative section poster of NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. Credit: Newsday Illustration/Isaac Lopez

Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Game 1: Starting off with a blowout
Game 2: Defense, Brunson come up big in the fourth
Game 3: No OG, no problem
Game 4: It's always sunny for the Knicks in another closeout blowout

Eastern Conference Finals vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Game 1: The 22-point fourth-quarter comeback
Game 2: Hart leads a balanced attack
Game 3: The win streak hits double digits
Game 4: Another closeout rout sends the Knicks to the Finals

NBA Finals vs. San Antonio Spurs

Game 1: Knicks rally from 14-point deficit
Game 2: Wemby's last-second shot is off as Knicks win
Game 3: The one where the Spurs did not blow the lead
Game 4: The greatest comeback in NBA Finals history
Game 5: A historic rally forges the team's place in franchise lore

How the Knicks were built

Here's how president of basketball operations Leon Rose put together this roster since taking over in 2020, from signing Jalen Brunson in 2022 — a move that changed the franchise's fortunes from Day 1 — to trading a bevy of first-round picks for Mikal Bridges (who silenced his critics in a big way with his postseason play).

The man who was tasked with leading this group: Mike Brown, might not have been the Knicks' first, second or even third choice but proved to be the right one in the end.

How Long Island celebrated

Long Islanders formed a line at Dick's Sporting Goods in Roosevelt Field starting at midnight Sunday morning to buy Knicks championship gear. Customers were emotional because of the Knicks' first NBA Finals victory since 1973. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports. Credit: Newsday Staff; Photo Credit: AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin; Getty Images / Gregory Shamus

New York roared, from the packed sweaty bars around Madison Square Garden to watch parties at the Freeport Nautical Mile and Amagansett Square. From the abiding faithful who grew up with the mighty Ewing to the new generation sporting Brunson jerseys, New Yorkers cheered: Knicks in Five, and 53 years of futility is done.

New York's championship pedigree

The Knicks won their third NBA title. Here's a look at how that compares with the other pro sports teams from New York over the past 120 years.

The TV and radio calls

Whenever any team wins a title, fans look to the various TV and radio broadcasts of the game to see how the moment was chronicled. In the Knicks' case, fans were treated to calls from ABC's Mike Breen (who also serves as the Knicks' lead play-by-play broadcaster on MSG Networks) and 880-AM ESPN New York Radio's Tyler Murray and Monica McNutt.

Here's how those broadcasts captured history:

ABC

The drought is OVER 🏆

53 years later, the Knicks are champions again! pic.twitter.com/jtuYWvyseX
— ESPN (@espn) June 14, 2026

ESPN New York Radio

ICYMI: The New York Knicks are NBA Champions, as called by @LT__Murray and @McNuttMonica !

Thank you to all of the incredible fans for listening to @ESPNNewYork this season. Your home of the NBA Champions. pic.twitter.com/XPpVikdtXh
— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) June 14, 2026

Parade details

Next up for the Knicks and their fans: the Canyon of Heroes and all the ticker-tape they can handle. Here is when and where to salute the Knicks as they are honored with a parade in Manhattan (the first in franchise history, despite their championships in 1970 and 1973).