The drought is over. The New York Knickerbockers won their first NBA championship in 53 years with a 94-90 victory in game 5 over the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, June 13. The Knicks last won an NBA title in 1973.
The drought is OVER ?
53 years later, the Knicks are champions again! pic.twitter.com/jtuYWvyseX
— ESPN (@espn) June 14, 2026
Victor Wembanyama walking by Jeremy Sochan and acting like he doesn't exist pic.twitter.com/ztfgfmxEPZ
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod ?? (@big_business_) June 14, 2026
Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. The 6-2 shooting guard scored 15 of his total 45 points in the 4th quarter.
Jalen Brunson sacrificed over $100 million to give the Knicks a better chance to compete for a title.
Tonight he’s an NBA champion and a legend in New York for life. pic.twitter.com/W0ceZ7fmCZ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 14, 2026
Jalen, 29, celebrated with New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson – who happens to be his father.
“It’s like, we couldn’t have imagined this, you know, back then. Just a dream. We would dream about it, talk about it. We talked about it earlier today. He said he wanted to be a champion. And yet I can’t believe it. It’s crazy,” Rick Brunson said after the game. Rick, 54, played nine seasons in the NBA.
“Words can’t describe it but I’ll say I put a lot of time and effort into trying to be the best player I can be to try and help a team win,” Jalen Brunson said. “It means the world to me.”
Rick met Jalen’s mother, Sandra, at Temple University, where Rick played for the basketball team and Sandra played volleyball.
Jalen Brunson's mom, Sandra, in awe after watching her son and husband become champs ?? pic.twitter.com/TuQaIDNlGy
— espnW (@espnW) June 14, 2026
Jalen is used to winning championships. The 3x NBA All-Star won 2 NCAA titles with Villanova (2016, 2018) and the NBA Cup title in 2025 with the Knicks. He was also named NBA Cup MVP in 2025.
Knicks stars Trey Jemison III (left), Karl-Anthony Towns (center) and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing (right) pose with comedian Tracy Morgan after defeating the Spurs to win the 2026 NBA Championship.
Mikal Bridges (L) and actor Timothee Chalamet pose with New York Post Champs front page after the Knicks defeated the Spurs to win the 2026 NBA Championship.
Prince Harry (wearing grey and white ball cap) watched game 5 of the NBA Finals from the 8th row with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
The Knicks’ Game 4 savior OG Anunoby is surrounded by teammates after tipping in Jalen Brunson’s missed 3 pointer to defeat the Spurs and take a 3-1 lead in the Finals on June 10. Sports writers declared OG’s tip-in to be the greatest basket in Knicks history and among the top 20 plays in New York sports history.
OG Anunoby game-winner for the Knicks! ?
New York pulls off the unreal 29-point comeback! pic.twitter.com/o5FF3IoMiX
— ESPN (@espn) June 11, 2026
Knicks fans erupted in wild celebrations in New York City after the Knicks won the title on Saturday. They fired guns in the air and lit fireworks until well after midnight. Dozens of fans were arrested for burning school buses, damaging police cars and trying to tear down light poles.
Police made more than 60 arrests for destroying property near MSG on Saturday night and early Sunday. The NYPD reported multiple injuries, a non-fatal shooting, four stabbings, six school buses burned and multiple damaged NYPD vehicles.
Police said more than 10,000 people poured into the streets after the Knicks clinched the NBA title. Two NYPD officers were injured. One was punched in the face while the other was slashed with a broken bottle.