For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are champions of the NBA. On Saturday night in San Antonio, New York beat the Spurs 94–90 to close out the 2026 Finals in five games, ending the longest title drought of any Original-team franchise and validating a roster, a coach, and a fan base that had spent decades being told it wasn’t quite enough.

It is the third championship in franchise history — joining the 1970 and 1973 teams that have lived in highlight reels and the memories of an aging generation — and the first that today’s Madison Square Garden crowd can call its own.

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