BY MARK HALPERN
If you’re a sports fan there is one thing you want to witness, that team win a championship, there’s nothing like it. The last time the New York Knicks won the final was 1973, I didn’t get to witness that, as I wasn’t born yet. As a child, you’re born into rooting for specific teams, my father made me a Knicks fan. He worshiped the Knicks and my mother worships the Mets, so that’s where two of my teams fall in. Throughout the years I have had the privilege of seeing one horrible playoff moment and one amazing playoff moment. I saw Reggie Miller do the unthinkable and I was there when LJ hit the famous 4 point play. In 1999 the Knicks were in the finals and I decided to go to Vegas to be there betting (honestly, I lost my ass and then some) and watched them go down 4-1 to the Spurs.
This begun the 27-year journey, between 1999 and 2026 I got to see many different forms of the Knicks line up. The Knicks over this Final’s drought had players of elite caliber such as Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Stephon Marbury and Julius Randle. During this time the Knicks made the playoffs but didn’t have the horses to go the distance. Former Knicks player and current assistant coach Rick Brunson convinced the Knicks to sign his son Jalen (who was drafted by Mavericks) so this team would have a floor general. Jalen Brunson’s performance outshined all the talking heads. Even when paired with Julius Randle they were better but, just not good enough. Brunson was coming up for a new contract in which he had earned the max contract but, instead left 113 million dollars on the table for the Knicks to make trades for Josh Hart and O.G. Anunoby and then have the flexibility to trade for Mikal Bridges. In an era where we talk about how much money players make, Jalen Brunson spreading the wealth to win a title says a lot about him and that’s why New York loves him. There was still the problem of a true big man. Julius Randle was good, but was too inconsistent. At the end of the 2024 season the Knicks made an aggressive three team trade that brought the final piece. Karl Anthony Towns (known as KAT) was brought in, in a 3-team trade with the Timberwolves and the Hornets. I loved and hated this trade. KAT is one of more versatile big men in the league with the ability to grab rebounds and play in low and can stretch the floor from the outside. The reason that I hated the trade was because is it took one the best sixth men in the league in Donte DiVincenzo. Good News is that every Knick from fan to player wants him back so you never know there. Over the past three seasons the Knicks climbed the ladder from playoff birth to winning the finals.
The 2026 season had its moments of concern especially during that horrible 8 game losing streak. Dan Ryans and myself had a podcast this season called “The 6th man up.” ( CHECK IT OUT ON THE SIN YOUTUBE PAGE) We did 27 shows and let’s face it our new podcast didn’t make them win but, I am sure someone saw it and it got them in gear. The trade deadline brought in Jose Alvarado who plays bigger than he is. Alvarado has re-signed and will be with the Knicks for three more years..
I had become accustomed to making the playoffs, but I wanted to envision holding that trophy just like every other Knick fan and player. When the Knicks got their act together after falling behind 2-1 to the Hawks, New York witnessed greatness. The Knicks won 13 consecutive games and the vibes were as high as ever. The Spurs won a classic Western Conference Finals over the Thunder, creating a 1999 rematch. I was nervous. Either Western team they were going to face was gonna be an up-hill battle more of a mountain if it was the Thunder. The Knicks came out and stole both game one and had a huge comeback and stole game two brining it back to the most loyal venue Madison Square Garden. The Knicks Lost game three (I didn’t expect them to sweep them) with the Knicks Being up by two it’s okay to lose one. Game 4 will always (In my opinion) be known as the tip. Besides the greatest comeback in Finals history, with under a few seconds left Brunson shot a desperate three that just came up short but since Wemby was outside to contest his shot they had no real big man under the net and as the ball hit the front of the rim O.G. Anunoby comes flying in and jumps up with about four other players and tips the ball in and knicks win game 4.
Game 5 we all know what happened. It was an up and down Battle but the Knicks seemed to own control throughout the game. I had my daughter record the last ten minutes before the Knicks win so I could have my reaction recorded. The last 20 seconds of the game I was running on pure adrenaline. Once the final desperation 3 went up and hit the back board and the time ran out, I went absolutely nuts and you can view the video on our X page @SINREAL (I dedicate my final moments to the great Richard Dreyfuss as his movie Let It Ride is one of my favorites) also it is a bit explicit at the end so ear phones if little ears are around. This moment is so special to me, for the Knicks to win their first title in 53 years, to have redemption from 1999, but most of all to share this moment with my kids, that’s what makes this title special.
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