Article graphics by Omar Zahran (@omarzahran.bsky.social on Bluesky)
When the lead in Game 6 against the Celtics ballooned up to 41 points in the third quarter, I was in disbelief. It was finally going to happen; the Knicks were finally going to be headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. When the final buzzer sounded, my eyes were filled with tears.
Around social media and Knicks content coverage, the sentiment was the same. A fan base that has been given so little to root for in the last two and a half decades finally had its moment of celebration.
Many people outside of the Knicks sphere have seen the clips of fans celebrating in the streets of New York and can’t fathom why we are so happy about a Conference Finals appearance. But for those that stuck through the darkest of dark days, this moment is vindication laced with pure elation that this team is finally repaying the unrelenting loyalty and belief that this fan base has shown.
Trying to Make Sense of the Darkness
Since their last visit to the Conference Finals, the Knicks have had 15 different coaches. If you subtract Thibodeau’s five-year tenure, that means that the Knicks went through 14 different head coaches in 20 years. In those 20 years, 16 were losing seasons. The precipitous fall is the definition of misery for any fan, so much so that we have all searched for any semblance of hope.
We as fans thought that players like Enes Kanter, Dennis Smith Jr, Eddy Curry, Chris Duhon, and others were part of the solution. We sat through and watched as we hoped draft picks like Mike Sweetney, Danilo Gallinari, and Frank Ntilikina would turn into the All-Star players that we coveted so much. And even when it seemed like we had the right guys in place, we watched as a toothless front office failed to build a contender around Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis.
For years, our annual highlight was the Draft Lottery—hoping the ping pong balls would finally fall our way to get a generational superstar and end the misery. It never happened that way, and the team always seemed to be just a little short. Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, Nikola Vucevic, Lauri Markkanen, and Ja Morant were all selected one pick before the Knicks were on the clock. Subsequently, in the offseason we often fantasized over what could have happened if we were just a little more lucky.
And yet, unlike other fan bases that leave arenas empty in the lean years, fans have stayed supportive of this team. From 2013-2023, the Knicks had the fifth worst record in the league (363-513), and yet were top-five in attendance during that span. With that loyalty comes the smallest sliver of hope that maybe one day they will figure it out. That hope manifests itself in celebrations over smaller milestones that other fan bases simply do not fully understand.
The Unifying Force
New York is a basketball city. The game is engrained in the fabric of the five boroughs with a long history of the playground game and NBA stars from the city. The Knicks, more than other franchises in New York, generally have mass appeal and buy-in throughout the city. These city dynamics, mixed with long spells of futility, result in a fan base that is like a volcano waiting to erupt.
We have seen it in regular season games in the past, and early round playoff games as well. Knick fans are so committed to this team’s success: every win is the greatest moment ever while every loss is a disaster. In that way, it’s the closest thing in American sports to European soccer fans. The Knicks are a part of the city in a way that most other NBA teams aren’t.
The Knicks’ lack of success, and specifically the lack of a title win in over 50 years, has made fans question whether they will ever see the great payoff in their lifetimes. As a result, the smaller feats have become part of Knicks lore and have been passed around like badges of honor. During the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, I connected with Knick fans in Europe, and we often remember moments in the seasons since then such as RJ Barrett’s game winner against Boston or Julius Randle’s 57-point performance against Minnesota. There is a sort of community that forms in these moments we have been craving for decades.
That level of dedication and clinging to the good moments are what have made this playoff run so magical—because for many Knicks fans this is a new experience. Jalen Brunson’s game winner to seal the series in Detroit, two back-to-back 20-point comeback wins against Boston, and a blowout to get to the Conference Finals. They are all uncharted territory for many Knicks fans, and because we haven’t experienced it in so long, we are cherishing the moment and not taking it for granted for a second.
That’s why the Knicks faithful were outside of the Garden on Friday night celebrating like they won a championship, because we have been so starved for success that getting a taste of it again is simply intoxicating. We dedicate our time and energy to this team—watching 82 games, paying attention to offseason acquisitions, and talking about the team throughout the calendar year.
You saw it in the Garden crowd, chanting “DE-FENSE” when the Knicks were up 30 against the Celtics. We could all taste it: the door that had been locked and closed off for so long was suddenly open. All the jokes we had to endure, all the mismanagement, and all the failed potential made this moment that much sweeter.
As we mentally prepare for the challenge that awaits with the Indiana Pacers, it’s important to take some time to simply appreciate the journey of this team to get to where they are now. This was a team that was a joke for decades and a fan base that was called a lunatic fringe. We have taken those shots and wear them as badges of honor. This win and this moment were a win for all of us—let’s enjoy the ride as much as we can.
