A KFTV Championship Roundtable

Remi: I’m 39, and I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t a Knicks fan. My first memories are from watching my dad yelling at the TV when John Starks would take a crazy shot, or Oakley or Mason picked up a tech. His passion for those games made me treat every game with more importance.

Joseph: I’ve been a Knicks fan since I was seven years old. The first-ever Knicks memory I had was going to a game on December 30th, 2009, when the Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls. I fell asleep during the fourth quarter in a blowout loss.

Geoffrey: I was 8 when the Knicks played the Rockets in the ‘94 Finals. Although I wasn’t as die-hard as I am now, you could definitely feel how special it was to the city.

Jalen: The morning after Carmelo Anthony made his debut, SportsCenter played the highlights and the “I’m Coming Home” intro. I was mostly a baseball kid at the time, but it seemed like I missed a cool moment. So I started paying attention to the Knicks. Funny enough, I gave the Nets a chance, too, but soon it was clear which path to take.

Omar: It's been 32 years for me. The first Knicks memory I have is the infamous OJ car chase game in the '94 Finals. But the real commitment started right around the '99 run.

Remi: I was still pretty stuck in disbelief, to be honest. It didn’t really hit me until that Nike commercial played with the Knicks fans running through New York to the celebration. All of a sudden, I was fighting back tears. It washed over me finally, an “I’ve waited my whole life for this” moment, for sure!

Joseph: Well, first off, I was in a bar, perhaps with a few libations in my system, and I immediately blacked out in the moment. Jumping up and down, hugging random strangers, including the friend I made in line to get inside the bar, a wait time of an hour and a half, might I add. Soon thereafter, I flooded the streets and could just hear the happiness that was New York City. That happiness was equally shared.

Geoffrey: I balled like a little kid, man. Being a new Dad, watching Jalen and Rick Brunson embrace at the end…that was it for me.

Jalen: Stunned. The last few years felt like a constant heart attack. This postseason felt easy, even when the Knicks were down (which was most of the Finals, really). But most of the shock has become joy now, knowing we can enjoy the offseason and next season without the weight of a championship drought on us.

Omar: Pure, unfiltered joy. The realization that they finally did something that I wasn't sure I would ever see in my lifetime. I jumped up and down, with tears in my eyes, grateful that I was able to witness this finally happen.

Remi: I’ve jockeyed back and forth between belief and “we’re cursed” mindsets throughout the Brunson era. But I hit a new level of certainty after watching how this team played in the NBA Cup. They were the best team in the league during the most important games of the regular season, and I realized they’d find a way when it mattered most.

Joseph: The moment the Knicks expressed interest in Brunson, I knew we had a fighting chance of being led by someone with a killer instinct. As someone who followed him during his Villanova days, Brunson was ALWAYS “that guy.” It just so happens he is “that guy” for the entirety of his tenure here, one that every Knicks fan hopes is extended for years to come.

Geoffrey: Prior to the beginning of this season, I definitely had Finals aspirations for the team, but I would say it was when we swept Philly and closed out in their home court. That’s when I finally started to feel like a championship could be a reality.

Jalen: Beating Boston last season was my personal mini-championship. But I’d point to the NBA Cup Tournament, because it really did feel like the roster and its talent were being maximized, and everyone had a hand in contributing to winning.

Omar: Last year, during the Boston series. The team just seemed to show that they were capable of overcoming adversity and that if everything fell a certain way, they were good enough to make a run.

Remi: After watching Brunson against the Jazz with Luka out, I let every doubter know that Jalen Brunson was capable of being the best player on the floor in any series. That’s partially because I was a huge Donovan Mitchell fan and watched how Brunson outplayed him. It went from a hot take to “I told you so” in these past few years.

Joseph: He’s going to become a fan favorite quicker than originally expected.

Geoffrey: That he had the intangibles to lead the team to greatness.

Jalen: I was always on the “you could definitely win with a small guard” side of the argument, and I felt Brunson was the perfect example. We say Steph Curry (not tall) and Nikola Jokic (a center with mediocre defense) win in back-to-back years. Anything was possible.

Omar: That you could win a title with someone with the statistical profile and physical dimensions of Jalen Brunson as your best player. It was evident to me right away that this player was different, and that he can be the head of the snake, so to speak, and deliver. The height criticisms always felt like they discounted what he was truly capable of.

Remi: I doubted Mike Brown heavily on his way in. I bought into podcast claims and the general hate that was lobbed his way. It felt like he was the Knicks’ 7th option. But he has been outstanding in all the biggest moments.

Joseph: That trading for OG Anunoby was a mistake. Turns out he’s pretty damn good at this whole basketball thing.

Geoffrey: I don’t think I ever saw Brunson being this much of a dynamic shooter, off the dribble, especially from the three-point line.

Jalen: I thought the KAT trade was a huge mistake, and that they could’ve traded for someone else one without having to give up Donte DiVincenzo.

Omar: That James Dolan would get in the way of this team reaching its peak. When he got done with the Sphere, I worried that we would get a lot of meddling Dolan again. But he ultimately was mostly hands-off, outside of a couple of interviews, and allowed the front office and players to do their thing. And it paid off.

Remi: For me, it’s Mitch. He was here during the lowest lows and stuck around for the highest highs. He went from starting to a bench role without creating problems, as some previous centers did. That’s not to mention how he overcame injuries and made it back to get crucial stops on Wemby.

Joseph: It’s a tie between Jose Alvarado and Karl-Anthony Towns. Alvarado is a Brooklyn native who went to high school in Queens, and then, years later, he ends up putting on a jersey for his hometown team. KAT’s story isn’t just poetic, but it’s all the emotion that comes along with his story. If you’ve lost a parent or a grandparent, the number one thing you hope to do is make them proud as they look down on you. KAT didn’t just do that; he exceeded the expectations he put on himself.

Geoffrey: KAT. That man’s name has been dragged through the mud so many times, and for things that are not basketball-related. Extremely happy that he won, and that he won in NY.

Jalen: Mikal Bridges carried the weight of the trade for him since his first game as a Knick. It’s great that we don’t have to talk about picks or Giannis anymore. And he can live and play freely.

Omar: OG Anunoby. Even though he has a title from his time as a Raptor, OG showed that he was a playoff difference-maker on a title team this year. He shed all the previous notions about him not wanting it enough, and was rewarded for it. He showed that he was so much more than what a lot of people thought he was when the Knicks acquired him, and I love that for him.

Remi: Patrick Ewing, the greatest Knicks of the 90’s and arguably ever. Carmelo Anthony, a historic talent who never got the help he deserved to make a true run at the title. Lastly, Tom Thibodeau, who coached this team up from perpetual lottery to consistent playoff series wins. Just to throw it in, Julius Randle would be on my list if he didn’t have plenty of time to win one of his own.

Joseph: Mike Woodson, Patrick Ewing, and Walt “Clyde” Frazier.

Geoffrey: Melo, Thibs, Ewing.

Jalen: Melo, Randle, Donte. If someone rejects it, we’ll move on to Lance Thomas.

Omar: 1. Patrick Ewing: goes without saying, he sacrificed so much for this organization and deserves it more than maybe anyone else.

2. Julius Randle: Probably an unpopular selection by me, but I will always be grateful for the foundation that was laid by Julius. We aren't where we are today without what he did as a Knick.

3. Clyde Frazier: I think there is no one more integral to the idea of Knicks basketball than Clyde. Both as a player and a broadcaster, he is who I think of when I think of the Knicks in a historical context. He has worked through a lot of bad teams as a broadcaster, and he deserves some hardware for that.

Remi: I don’t think you can ever truly be sure about a title. So much has to go right between the roster, health, and general luck that every season has new question marks.

But I have the utmost belief in the talent on the roster and the front office to give the Knicks a real shot every single season. So, I’m never gonna call any team a sure thing. But I’m confident the Knicks will always be in a good position to pounce.

Joseph: If the league has proven anything, it’s that championship success is difficult to repeat. I’ll give New York a solid 7.5/10.

Geoffrey: 8 out of 10. Of course, the East will get better. But so will the Knicks. Never doubt Leon Rose and what he is capable of.

Jalen: If the Spurs keep De’Aaron Fox, then 9/10. If not, then I’m at a 6.

Omar: On a scale of 1-10, I'm at a 7/10. This organization as a whole has earned our confidence. They have been run the right way for the last six seasons, and with the way the NBA is today with parity, I think their continuity and eye for the right move could lead to another run.

Remi: The 2026 draft class is genuinely one of the most exciting talent pools we’ve seen entering the league all at once. I’m looking forward to seeing which generational talents emerge, and I’m happy the Knicks have a few picks to take shots at this class with.

Even if the picks are late, who cares? Jalen Brunson is proof that you can build your franchise with the right second-round pick.

Joseph: Will the Knicks end up moving on from Tyler Kolek or Deuce McBride to open up the point guard position behind Brunson?

Geoffrey: How we figure out how to keep Mitch and Landry.

Jalen: I’m always excited for the draft. And I also want to know what happens with Kawhi and his tree farm.

Omar: For Giannis to finally be traded. The saga has been long, and honestly, kind of annoying. Looking forward to it finally ending so we can move on to more important things.