Champions at Last... Yes, Knicks Fans, You Can Finally Exhale

Well... it's over.

The NBA season is officially in the books, and after 53 long years, the New York Knicks are champions again.

Go ahead, Knicks fans. Be loud. You've earned this one.

Just don't get too comfortable.

I'm not a Knicks fan. In fact, if we're being honest, Knicks fans might be the most insufferable fan base when things are going well. Nobody puffs their chest out faster after a win.

But here's the thing...

They also hold their own accountable harder than almost anyone. When the Knicks are bad, they don't make excuses—they boo. Loudly. They demand excellence, and after waiting over five decades, they finally got it.

The league is simply better when New York matters.

Jalen Brunson Is Officially Untouchable

Jalen Brunson isn't just a champion.

He's a made man.

You can argue where he ranks among the greatest Knicks ever today, but by the time he's done playing, I don't think there will be much of a debate.

And here's the crazy part...

He doesn't need another championship to secure his place in New York history.

A six-foot guard.

Second-round pick.

Passed over.

Undervalued.

The Mavericks decided he wasn't worth paying.

The Knicks said, "We'll take him."

Looking back, Dallas might've made one of the biggest financial mistakes in franchise history.

I'll admit it—I didn't think Brunson would become this. I thought he'd be a solid backup guard.

Instead, he became the face of one of the NBA's biggest franchises and delivered something generations of Knicks fans thought they'd never see again.

That's a legacy.

Karl-Anthony Towns Finally Changed the Conversation

No player needed this championship more than Karl-Anthony Towns.

For years we've heard the same things.

He's soft.

He's too talented to disappear.

He's not physical enough.

He doesn't care enough.

Whether those criticisms were fair or not, they followed him everywhere.

Not anymore.

Against San Antonio, Towns became the matchup problem.

His ability to pull Victor Wembanyama away from the rim and create offense completely changed the complexion of the series. The box score won't tell the whole story, but the chess match certainly will.

Sometimes the most valuable player isn't the one scoring the most points.

It's the one forcing everyone else to play differently.

Before We Bury Victor Wembanyama...

Let's calm down.

I've already seen people calling him a choker.

Really?

Yes, he missed some huge free throws.

Yes, he faded late in a couple of games.

Yes, there were moments where fatigue showed.

That happens.

He's also still the most terrifying defensive player in basketball.

The guy changes games without touching the ball.

With Stephon Castle continuing to improve and Dylan Harper looking like another cornerstone, San Antonio isn't going anywhere.

This won't be their last Finals appearance.

It may just be their first lesson.

Mike Brown Deserves an Apology

I'll start.

When the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, I questioned it.

Actually...

I hated it.

Mike Brown had the résumé.

LeBron.

Golden State.

Years of winning.

But I thought the Knicks were recycling another "good coach" instead of finding a championship coach.

I was wrong.

Brown didn't just coach games.

He coached series.

The way he unlocked Karl-Anthony Towns as a point-center, adjusted on the fly, and constantly forced San Antonio to react instead of dictate... that's championship coaching.

Not regular-season coaching.

Championship coaching.

Credit where it's due.

So... What Happens Now?

Now the fun begins.

The offseason.

The NBA's second season.

The draft is loaded.

Trades are coming.

Free agency is around the corner.

Can New York repeat?

Can San Antonio take the next step?

What does Oklahoma City do after falling short?

Do the Celtics make another run, or is change coming?

Every answer creates another question.

That's why the NBA never really ends.

The games stop.

The conversations don't.

And around here...

Relevance is Relative.