For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals. The Knicks have one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports, so how did the NFL world react to this giant accomplishment?
How the New York Knicks Built to This Historic Moment
The Knicks’ making the finals is an amazing accomplishment in and of itself, but what makes it even more impressive is that they swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals. The Cavaliers had only one fewer regular-season win than the Knicks, so many expected this to be a competitive series.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III wasn’t pleased with the Cavaliers-Knicks matchup being totally one-sided. He posted, “This is the worst Eastern Conference Finals I’ve ever seen.”
The fact that the Cavaliers, a team featuring star players such as shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, center Evan Mobley, and point guard James Harden, were swept shows just how fantastic the Knicks are.
“The New York Knicks NBA Finals run one is one of the MOST DOMINANT in NBA history,” Griffin wrote in another post. Before sweeping the star-studded Cavaliers, the team swept the Philadelphia 76ers, who have a lot of great players in their own right. Before that, they took down the Atlanta Hawks in six games.
The Knicks will now play the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder-San Antonio Spurs series in the NBA Finals.
NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger posted four broom emojis on X to celebrate the Knicks’ sweep over the Cavaliers.
“New York Knicks Fans deserve this,” Griffin said. While the Knicks have seen some success this decade, they struggled in the 2010s. During that decade, the team posted a winning percentage of just over 40%, which is pretty low for a team in a huge market.
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However, the Knicks built their squad by acquiring players via free agency and trades, including signing superstar point guard Jalen Brunson and trading for star center Karl-Anthony Towns and small forward Mikal Bridges.”
It is not just the roster that is great; the coaching is very good as well. The Knicks hired veteran head coach Mike Brown this offseason after parting ways with Tom Thibodeau. Before joining the Knicks, Brown was lauded for reviving the Sacramento Kings and leading them to the playoffs in 2023.
On the “Nightcap” podcast, with Shannon Sharpe and Ochocinco, seven-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson said the little tweaks that Brown has made have made the Knicks very dangerous. All three of them lauded the Knicks’ achievement of sweeping back-to-back series as the team looks to win its first NBA championship since 1973.
The Knicks were confident going into game 4, as some players wore black, as if it were a funeral for the Cavs. They were right to do so, as former NFL Player Emmanuel Acho posted, “The New York Knicks did indeed kill the Cavs.”
Overall, this is a huge storyline not just for basketball, not just for New York Sports, but for sports as a whole.
