I grew up in the city as a Knicks fan but have lived elsewhere for the past 4 years.
I flew in from San Juan, PR for a day to see game 4, having bought my ticket right after the conference finals and knowing full well that in a disastrous case it could have been the last game of a Spurs sweep. The opportunity to see the Knicks play in the finals was just too good even though the last Knicks game I went to was their 2013 Game 1 home loss to the pacers in round 2 (god was that painful at the time but little did I know what Halliburton had in store for us).
On Wednesday as I walked the city from the Staten Island ferry terminal to MSG, I was amazed by everyone rocking their Knicks gear. Your take is 100% spot on Nate, I’ve never seen the city as unified around one thing like the Knicks in my one day back, and I also never felt any animosity or need to gate keep. Everyone was loving the Knicks and being a New Yorker, and that made me even happier than their basketball success.
Finally, regarding momentum, the energy in the building was dead at halftime as Wu-Tang (shout out Shaolin!) got less energy from the crowd than a free cover band concert in San Jose. However, I’d say that once the Knicks got it down to 12 in the 4th quarter, my whole section felt like the Knicks were going to win, and once down to 4, it was all but a certainty. Even when Castle hit his free throws to put the Spurs up 1, I couldn’t help but feel that the Knicks would somehow pull the game out of their ass again, and sure enough, they did. That’s a feeling I’ve never had as a Knicks fan, something you can’t capture in analytics, and the thing I’ll remember most about this magical season.
We need some more statistical analysis of the 2026 NBA finals. Based on total number of minutes trailing what is the probability of the Knicks winning that series? What's the fewest number of minutes leading for the winner of a best of 7 NBA playoff series? Which team? When? Against who? Inquiring minds want to know! 🤔😁
People focus on Brunson, but OG Anunoby apparently led the entire NBA in Win Shares (and WS/48) in the playoffs, while KAT led the league in box plus/minus. I am not really sure what explains that; neither of them had ever shown the dramatic improvement in the playoffs that they had this year.
I also find it amusing that roughly zero people have referred to the Knicks winning a "double" since they also won the NBA Cup this year. I'm not sure that tournament has much of a future.
the knicks playing smack in the middle of the city is such a gift. rangers too! so many teams have arenas on the outskirts or suburbs (to say nothing of the jets and giants in a whole other state). it makes the knicks feel woven into the fabric of the city and the knicks energy much more infectious. that combined with the underdog odds, the intangibles and the overall "dog-ness" of the team... this drought ended in the most satisfying way possible.
As a long time Lions fan (speaking of cursed teams..I could write a book! Best RB in history losing 2 starting OL (one to paralysis, one to being hit by a truck while mowing his yard)? Check. #1 seed with 23 defensive players on IR? check. Up by 17 in the NFC championship at the half only to lose due the 4th down aggressiveness biting us? check ) one of the joys of their 2023-24 seasons were they are downtown & the entire city was on board.
One of these years, it'll happen..& Detroit will be a blacked out delirium riddled city for a few weeks.
Nate, I'm a proud product of Mt. Vernon, NY, one of the great basketball incubators anywhere, and I've been rooting for the Knicks since Willis Reed's rookie season. So this one feels really sweet. One thing I haven't seen mentioned much in the commentary is that San Antonio didn't win a single home game out of three tries. Does this say anything about home court advantage in today's NBA?
Other stocky, less athletic guards may get a shot because of Brunson, but the reality is you’re a lot more likely than not to end up with Khalid El-Amin.
Pacers fan here. My gut feeling before the series was that the Knicks were tougher than the Spurs. No data to support just experience watching them closely the last couple of years.
Also, my Pacers were ABA champs in 70 and 73. They played the Knicks in a preseason game and it was thrilling to think the Pacers of the ABA were on par with the Knicks. We haven’t had a championship since then either.
4-year old me was wearing Knicks pajamas when Willis came out of the tunnel. 7-year old me was waiting at the front door of our apartment in the Bronx for the Daily News to be delivered so I could find out if the Knicks had closed out the Lakers in 5. 28-year old me was in a bar in Midtown listening to a crowd screaming at the TV to turn off the OJ game and get back to Game 6. 60-year old me got to celebrate on Saturday night in Atlanta with my son (wearing my old Marcus Camby jersey) and my brother -- and then to call relatives near and far who were there when I was in Knick pajamas. I even pulled out my well-worn copy of The Incredible Knicks by Phil Pepe, bought at a bookmobile outside PS 71. Long way of saying it has been a great two months for this Knicks fan!
And unlike bandwagon Yankee fans, who I view as frontrunners, anybody like Nate who became a Knick fan at any point after 1975 -- regardless of age -- is welcome on board!
I had a similar thought. I've been reading Nate as long as he's been a public figure, and I think he's gotten much better lately at the less-analytical writing. To me it reads as a more mature and confident voice, with more perspective beyond analyzing and contextualizing data.
Obviously the ability to fluently include data is the real superpower, but in cases where the analysis is a bit more uneven (e.g. this article -- some good data, some "ehhhh") the fact is that the writing is still very much worth reading.
I guess that's all to say I'm here for your Karl Ove Knausgård phase, Nate! (Actually, the recent stuff reminds me a bit more of Nate's former co-host, Maria Konnikova).
You forgot something that cannot be captured by statistics, but is certainly tangible: Brunson’s salary “cut.” That allowed the Knicks to take their present form.
One continuing curse: The Curse of George Mikan. The Lakers quit the Twin Cities after a half dozen or so “National” championships with him as the big. Since, bigs have needed to get traded away from the T-Wolves to get a ring. KAT, of course, but also Kevin Garnett and Luc Longley.
Sometimes it's just nice when your team wins. Congratulations Nate!
"Everyone is better than Jalen Brunson until it is time to be better than Jalen Brunson." 🏀
I grew up in the city as a Knicks fan but have lived elsewhere for the past 4 years.
I flew in from San Juan, PR for a day to see game 4, having bought my ticket right after the conference finals and knowing full well that in a disastrous case it could have been the last game of a Spurs sweep. The opportunity to see the Knicks play in the finals was just too good even though the last Knicks game I went to was their 2013 Game 1 home loss to the pacers in round 2 (god was that painful at the time but little did I know what Halliburton had in store for us).
On Wednesday as I walked the city from the Staten Island ferry terminal to MSG, I was amazed by everyone rocking their Knicks gear. Your take is 100% spot on Nate, I’ve never seen the city as unified around one thing like the Knicks in my one day back, and I also never felt any animosity or need to gate keep. Everyone was loving the Knicks and being a New Yorker, and that made me even happier than their basketball success.
Finally, regarding momentum, the energy in the building was dead at halftime as Wu-Tang (shout out Shaolin!) got less energy from the crowd than a free cover band concert in San Jose. However, I’d say that once the Knicks got it down to 12 in the 4th quarter, my whole section felt like the Knicks were going to win, and once down to 4, it was all but a certainty. Even when Castle hit his free throws to put the Spurs up 1, I couldn’t help but feel that the Knicks would somehow pull the game out of their ass again, and sure enough, they did. That’s a feeling I’ve never had as a Knicks fan, something you can’t capture in analytics, and the thing I’ll remember most about this magical season.
LET’S GO KNICKS
We need some more statistical analysis of the 2026 NBA finals. Based on total number of minutes trailing what is the probability of the Knicks winning that series? What's the fewest number of minutes leading for the winner of a best of 7 NBA playoff series? Which team? When? Against who? Inquiring minds want to know! 🤔😁
People focus on Brunson, but OG Anunoby apparently led the entire NBA in Win Shares (and WS/48) in the playoffs, while KAT led the league in box plus/minus. I am not really sure what explains that; neither of them had ever shown the dramatic improvement in the playoffs that they had this year.
I also find it amusing that roughly zero people have referred to the Knicks winning a "double" since they also won the NBA Cup this year. I'm not sure that tournament has much of a future.
the knicks playing smack in the middle of the city is such a gift. rangers too! so many teams have arenas on the outskirts or suburbs (to say nothing of the jets and giants in a whole other state). it makes the knicks feel woven into the fabric of the city and the knicks energy much more infectious. that combined with the underdog odds, the intangibles and the overall "dog-ness" of the team... this drought ended in the most satisfying way possible.
It is.
As a long time Lions fan (speaking of cursed teams..I could write a book! Best RB in history losing 2 starting OL (one to paralysis, one to being hit by a truck while mowing his yard)? Check. #1 seed with 23 defensive players on IR? check. Up by 17 in the NFC championship at the half only to lose due the 4th down aggressiveness biting us? check ) one of the joys of their 2023-24 seasons were they are downtown & the entire city was on board.
One of these years, it'll happen..& Detroit will be a blacked out delirium riddled city for a few weeks.
Nate, I'm a proud product of Mt. Vernon, NY, one of the great basketball incubators anywhere, and I've been rooting for the Knicks since Willis Reed's rookie season. So this one feels really sweet. One thing I haven't seen mentioned much in the commentary is that San Antonio didn't win a single home game out of three tries. Does this say anything about home court advantage in today's NBA?
" . . . apologies to our readers who are fans of a Canadian NHL team or the Buffalo Bills."
[ Sabresness intentifies ]
Other stocky, less athletic guards may get a shot because of Brunson, but the reality is you’re a lot more likely than not to end up with Khalid El-Amin.
Pacers fan here. My gut feeling before the series was that the Knicks were tougher than the Spurs. No data to support just experience watching them closely the last couple of years.
Also, my Pacers were ABA champs in 70 and 73. They played the Knicks in a preseason game and it was thrilling to think the Pacers of the ABA were on par with the Knicks. We haven’t had a championship since then either.
4-year old me was wearing Knicks pajamas when Willis came out of the tunnel. 7-year old me was waiting at the front door of our apartment in the Bronx for the Daily News to be delivered so I could find out if the Knicks had closed out the Lakers in 5. 28-year old me was in a bar in Midtown listening to a crowd screaming at the TV to turn off the OJ game and get back to Game 6. 60-year old me got to celebrate on Saturday night in Atlanta with my son (wearing my old Marcus Camby jersey) and my brother -- and then to call relatives near and far who were there when I was in Knick pajamas. I even pulled out my well-worn copy of The Incredible Knicks by Phil Pepe, bought at a bookmobile outside PS 71. Long way of saying it has been a great two months for this Knicks fan!
And unlike bandwagon Yankee fans, who I view as frontrunners, anybody like Nate who became a Knick fan at any point after 1975 -- regardless of age -- is welcome on board!
How 'bout Harden for a Brunson comp? Not perfect, but at least as good as the guys you mentioned.
Very interesting and entertaining article. Would be also excited to read your take on NYC everyday life culture.
I had a similar thought. I've been reading Nate as long as he's been a public figure, and I think he's gotten much better lately at the less-analytical writing. To me it reads as a more mature and confident voice, with more perspective beyond analyzing and contextualizing data.
Obviously the ability to fluently include data is the real superpower, but in cases where the analysis is a bit more uneven (e.g. this article -- some good data, some "ehhhh") the fact is that the writing is still very much worth reading.
I guess that's all to say I'm here for your Karl Ove Knausgård phase, Nate! (Actually, the recent stuff reminds me a bit more of Nate's former co-host, Maria Konnikova).
You forgot something that cannot be captured by statistics, but is certainly tangible: Brunson’s salary “cut.” That allowed the Knicks to take their present form.
One continuing curse: The Curse of George Mikan. The Lakers quit the Twin Cities after a half dozen or so “National” championships with him as the big. Since, bigs have needed to get traded away from the T-Wolves to get a ring. KAT, of course, but also Kevin Garnett and Luc Longley.
Great writeup!