I will admit it. I got this one completely wrong.
When the NBA Finals began, I confidently predicted that the San Antonio Spurs would defeat the New York Knicks in five games. I saw Victor Wembanyama’s brilliance, San Antonio’s youthful energy, and their hard-earned Western Conference championship as signs of an emerging dynasty. The Spurs had survived a grueling playoff journey, and I thought they were destined to complete the story.
Instead, it was the Knicks who wrote the ending. And indeed, what a journey, and what a fairy tale ending it was.
After decades of waiting, heartbreak, and frustration, the New York Knicks are NBA champions once again. For long-suffering Knicks fans, this was more than a championship. It was vindication. It was redemption. It was the reward for generations of loyalty through decades of despair, when hope often seemed impossible.
What impressed me most was not that New York won the series. It was how they won it. Time and again, the Spurs built seemingly comfortable leads. Time and again, the Knicks remained unfazed, and calmly plodded on to erase them. In all 5 games, the Knicks came back from double-digit deficits, and trailed behind 72% of the time. Still, they came clawing back to strike terror in the hearts of the young Spurs.
The turning point came in Game 4. San Antonio appeared to have complete control, building a stunning 29-point lead early in the third quarter. The series seemed destined to return to Texas tied at two games apiece. Instead, the Knicks staged the greatest comeback ever in NBA Finals history. From that moment on, the psychological complexion of the series changed.
The Knicks discovered something important about themselves: no deficit was too large. Conversely, the Spurs discovered something equally troubling: no lead against this tough-as-nails Knicks was going to be safe.
Thereafter, every New York run seemed to trigger anxiety in San Antonio. The Spurs played tighter. Possessions became rushed. Open looks were passed up. Confidence gave way to caution. It was not a lack of talent that defeated them, it was the painful reality of youth confronting the pressure of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks, meanwhile, looked like a team that had seen everything before. Last year was a painful experience against the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks had reached deep into the playoffs, emerging as Eastern Conference Finalists for the first time in a long while. Only to be humbled by a super-fated Pacer team. Jalen Brunson and his cohorts were determined not to experience the same frustration all over again.
Jalen was the steady hand that guided the Knicks through every storm and deservedly earned Finals MVP honors. Whenever New York needed a basket, a stop, or simply a calming presence, Brunson delivered. Karl-Anthony Towns used his experience and strength to consistently challenge Wembanyama. OG Anunoby, the hero of Game 4, was magnificent throughout the series, providing elite defense and timely scoring. Mikal Bridges delivered his usual two-way excellence, while Josh Hart once again became the emotional engine that powered the team.
Looking back, I now believe that the matchup favored New York more than many of us realized. Brunson outplayed an injured De’Aaron Fox at point. In the battle between 2 undersized power forwards, Anunoby’s experience proved too much for Julian Champagnie. Towns’ veteran savvy bothered Wembanyama no end. The Hart-Vassell and the Bridges-Castle matchups felt even, although the Knicks trumped the Spurs in valuable experience.
Ironically, Oklahoma City could have posed a more difficult challenge. The Thunder’s perimeter athleticism, defensive pressure, and playoff-tested core would have created more matchup problems than the youthful Spurs ultimately did. Plus they have Lou Dort and Alex Caruso, 2 stylistically different but equally unforgiving foils who could guard Jalen.
Still, none of this should diminish San Antonio’s remarkable season. For a first-timer in the league’s playoff duels, the Spurs showed true grit. Wembanyama remains the most frightening young talent in basketball. Castle will only improve. Fox will be healthier. Their future remains incredibly bright. And for that rookie star-in-the-making, Dylan Harper, the sky’s the limit.
But this year belonged to New York. As I watched the agony and the ecstasy as the final buzzer sounded, I found myself smiling, precisely because my prediction had not come true. Sports are at their best when they surprise us, when they humble us, and when they remind us that experience, resilience, and belief can overcome even the brightest projections.
So yes, I happily, humblingly eat crow today. And I offer my salute to the Knicks and their fantastic, loyal fans.
And judging by the celebration in New York, it was a feast worth having. After fifty-three long years, the Knicks are champions again. For their fans, the wait is finally over. Party on, Rose, Chi and the rest of the gang! For the rest of us, we were privileged to witness a storybook ending to a most heart-stopping NBA Finals. It’s celebration time, c’mon!!!
Cover pic courtesy of NBA.com.
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