The New York Knicks are one of the NBA teams with the most global recognition. Indeed, if you were to ask random people in the street to start naming NBA franchises, they’d be up there with the LA Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics as the most recognizable brands.
That said, the Knicks have not had as much success as those franchises. They have two NBA Championship wins – both coming over 50 years ago – and they have not been to the NBA Finals this century. Yet, the latter will change at least in the coming weeks after a 4-0 drubbing of the Cleveland Cavaliers sent the Knicks to the Finals for the first time since 1999.
They’ll be slight underdogs in the NBA Finals odds (they’ll face either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder from the Western Conference), but that hasn’t stopped the Finals fever from sweeping the Big Apple. Madison Square Garden will have an electric atmosphere, especially if the Knicks are in with a shout of glory.
The hottest ticket in town
Already, there are reports that this could be the most expensive NBA Finals in history tickets-wise, with some courtside seats reportedly selling for just under $300K. Getting tickets might be an issue, but there is at least some good news: scores of free tickets will go to underprivileged kids from NYC. As an aside, President Trump has signaled he will be going to at least one of the games.
It has been a long, hard road for the Knicks, but the signs were there over the past few seasons that the patient rebuild of the roster would soon bear fruit. Much credit should go to the Knicks’ President Leon Rose. The team was in the doldrums when he took over in March 2020, but it has become a force again. Others, ranging from GM Gersson Rosas to head coach Mike Brown, should also take a lot of credit. Indeed, the success should also belong to former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who did a lot of work to steady the ship and make the Knicks into a playoff-caliber team.
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The players have chemistry and camaraderie
Of course, this season’s success is also down to the players: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Mohamed Diawara, and OG Anunoby are just some of those who have been part of the magic formula to get the Knicks back to the summit of the NBA. All athletes have egos, of course, but there is a humbleness and togetherness about this team that has aided the Knicks’ cause. It feels like a team and not a collection of talented individuals.
Many young Knicks fans weren’t even born when the Knicks last made the Finals, and their grandparents were probably young the last time New York won a championship. But during those barren years, the Knicks remained a ‘big’ team, a box-office draw. The excitement will be palpable over the next couple of weeks. Whether you’re into celebrity-spotting, just want to soak up the atmosphere, or are a die-hard Knicks fan whose time has finally come, it’s going to be an amazing time for New York basketball.