New York is back: Knicks win first NBA title in 53 years
Photo: The Knicks are on top of the basketball world (x.com/nyknicks)
The New York Knicks have officially returned to basketball's summit, winning the NBA championship for the first time in more than half a century. On the night of June 14, Mike Brown's team sealed the title in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, according to the league's official website.
NBA Finals 2025/26. Game 5
San Antonio Spurs – New York Knicks 90:94
(23:13, 19:24, 30:28, 18:29)
Series result: 1-4
How the decisive game unfolded
The Spurs came out strong on their home court, winning the opening quarter 23-13 and later building a 16-point lead. However, the Knicks stabilized their play and cut the deficit to five points before halftime, trailing 37-42.
In the third quarter, San Antonio made another push and restored a 15-point advantage. But in the final period, New York responded with a 10-0 run to tie the game at 83-83. The championship was ultimately decided in a tense closing stretch, with Jalen Brunson hitting a clutch shot one minute before the final buzzer and calmly converting free throws in the closing seconds to secure a 94-90 victory.
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Photo: Knicks (https://www.nba.com/)
Brunson delivers a Jordan-level performance
The undisputed hero of the night and the unanimous NBA Finals MVP was point guard Jalen Brunson. In the title-clinching game, he scored nearly half of New York's points, finishing with 45.
Brunson delivered a remarkable shooting performance, making 10 two-point field goals, four three-pointers, and 13 free throws.
With that performance, Brunson joined an elite group of NBA legends, becoming only the fourth player in league history — after Michael Jordan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Bob Pettit — to score 45 or more points in a championship-clinching Finals game.
Photo: Jalen Brunson (https://www.nba.com/)
Josh Hart also played a key role, recording a double-double with 13 points and 11 assists while contributing on both ends of the floor.
For San Antonio, reserve guard Ron Harper Jr. led the scoring with 25 points, while star center Victor Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks.
Historic milestones
Longest championship drought ended
The title is the third in franchise history for the New York Knicks, whose previous championships came in 1970 and 1973. The 53-year gap between titles is the longest championship drought ever ended in NBA history.
Photo: New York Knicks (https://www.nba.com/)
First-ever double crown
The Knicks also made history by becoming the first team to win both the NBA championship and the NBA Cup in the same season.
Record-setting comeback
The series will also be remembered for Game 4, when New York completed the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, rallying from a 29-point deficit to win 107-106.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian national team player Maksym Klychko left a top European league to continue his career in the United States.
