🏀 NBA

The Knicks end 53 years of waiting, and a dynasty-in-the-making falls short

For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are NBA champions. Madison Square Garden erupted as New York closed out the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 Finals — a series that will be remembered for a 29-point comeback in Game 4, the largest in Finals history. It was a rematch of the 1999 Finals and the first time both NBA Cup finalists reached the championship round.

The individual crown, though, still belonged to Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who captured his second straight MVP even as his Thunder — the defending champions — were knocked out by the Spurs in a seven-game Western Conference Finals. SGA's dominance was historic in every sense: earlier in the season he passed Wilt Chamberlain for the longest streak of consecutive 20-point games in league history, a record that had stood for 63 years.

And the Knicks' title extended the wildest run of parity the league has ever seen — eight different champions in eight straight years. The hunters keep changing. That's what makes next season's chase so wide open.

🏀 The offseason already delivered a blockbuster — Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to the Miami Heat. Tip-off is late October. Everyone starts even.