New York Knicks win first NBA title since 1973

The New York Knicks won the NBA championship for the first time since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to clinch the Finals 4-1. The victory, reported on Sunday, June 14, 2026, gave New York its third title in franchise history and ended a 53-year wait.

Jalen Brunson led the comeback from a 16-point deficit with 45 points. New York had already shown its resilience in Game 4, when it rallied from 29 points down for a win, and it again fought back here, taking its first lead since the opening quarter only three minutes before the end.

The article says Brunson and OG Anunoby were the Knicks’ key players throughout the series, with Anunoby delivering the best playoff basketball of his career. Without them, it says, New York likely would not have reached this point. Victor Wembanyama, playing in his first playoff run, is expected to learn from the series, but will have to keep waiting for his first championship.

The Knicks’ previous titles came in 1970 and 1973. They also reached two more Finals and lost, including to the Spurs and the Houston Rockets, which fed their long reputation as one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments. The 2026 playoffs changed that story.