Knicks End Drought
New York Knicks Secure First NBA Championship Since 1973; Jalen Brunson Earns MVP
For the first time in 53 years, New York rules basketball. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 on June 13, clinching the 2026 NBA Championship at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, according to FOX5 NY. The drought is over. The last time the Knicks won a title was 1973.
Jalen Brunson was the reason. The former Villanova star scored 45 points — including 13 straight in the fourth quarter — to earn Finals MVP honors, per Chicago Sun-Times. Brunson shot 14-of-27 from the field and 13-of-15 from the free-throw line. "It's an honor to be here in this city and this organization," he said after the game. "We're still writing our story."
Brunson and the Villanova Trio Close It Out
Brunson did not do it alone. His former Villanova college teammates Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges combined with him for 72 of the Knicks' 94 points in Game 5, according to Philadelphia Sports Now. Hart posted a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Bridges added 14 points. It was a fitting end for a team that built its identity around that Villanova core.
Victor Wembanyama gave the Spurs everything he had. The young center recorded 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the loss. But it was not enough. The Knicks won the series 4-1 and finished the postseason with a 16-3 record, per North Jersey.
A 29-Point Comeback Set the Stage in Game 4
The title run almost fell apart before it could be finished. In Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks trailed by 29 points. Then they came all the way back. OG Anunoby hit a tip-in to win it 107-106 — the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The comeback set up a winner-take-all mentality heading into Game 5, even with a 4-1 series lead in hand. Some analysts, including ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, had argued Anunoby deserved the Finals MVP award for his defensive work and that Game 4 winner. Brunson's 45-point closing performance ended that debate fast.
Brunson's $113 Million Sacrifice Built This Roster
This championship did not happen by accident. In 2024, Brunson signed a contract extension that left roughly $113 million on the table. That move gave the Knicks the money to re-sign OG Anunoby and trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, filling out the roster that just won the title, per App.com.
The Knicks also swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals in May. Brunson won the Larry Bird Trophy as ECF MVP for that series too. From that point on, New York looked like a team of destiny heading into the Finals against San Antonio.
City Erupts, But NYPD Braces for Chaos
New York celebrated hard — sometimes too hard. After Game 4, post-game brawls in Bryant Park led to 21 arrests and injuries to 10 officers. The NYPD deployed its Strategic Response Group for all home games and set up a "frozen zone" of several city blocks around Madison Square Garden, according to Record Online.
Knicks owner James Dolan called Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch the city's "biggest party poopers" for the strict security rules. Tisch fired back, saying the measures were needed to manage "extraordinary demands" on the department. A Canyon of Heroes parade is now planned for Tuesday, June 16. The city expects a massive turnout.
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