Did you like the Knicks before they were good? Do you follow soccer — oh sorry, football — more frequently than once every four years?Good for you. You’re not a bandwagon-hopper. But please give some love to those of us who just tuned in recently. Americans have enough to divide us — the last thing we need is a fight among people rooting for the same team or following the same tournament.The New York Knicks’ playoff run this year attracted far more attention than the ordinary championship campaign. That was partly because it was New York, the most populous city in the U.S., and the capital of American media. Another reason for the undue attention was the drought: The Knicks hadn’t won a championship since 1973, meaning that most NBA fans and most New Yorkers had never seen a Knicks title.
The 2026 Knicks also won in fantastic fashion. In May, they won all eight games they played. While sweeping the Eastern Conference finals, they once came back from down 20 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers and ended up winning that game by 11 points in overtime. Despite this consistent dominance and outscoring their opponents by a record-high 14.9 points a game, basketball commentators kept talking them down.New York Knicks fans climb on buses as they celebrate after the NBA Finals in Times Square on June 14, 2026 in New York City. (Adam Gray/Getty Images)
