The New York Knicks are NBA champions, and the Big Apple is going bonkers. It’s been 53 years since the Knicks won a title, so the team’s passionate fans are certainly entitled to their celebrations.
During the 2025-26 NBA season and especially in the NBA Finals, the Knicks had star players who did what they had to do to make this championship happen. At this point, Jalen Brunson is a household name and showed off his heroics in Game 5. Brunson, of course, really went above and beyond in the team’s clinching win over the Spurs. He scored 45 points to help the Knicks secure a 94-90 win.
Brunson also earned the unanimous Finals MVP honors, and for good reason. Scoring 45 points under pressure is something only superstars can accomplish. So, Brunson deserves his kudos.
But, there are other players and people involved with the Knicks’ historic season that also deserve their flowers.
3 Unsung Heroes in the New York Knicks’ Championship Win
OG Anunoby
Nobody can say that OG Anunoby is really under-the-radar at this point. He’s made big noise during the Knicks’ run to the NBA title despite his quiet nature on the court. He has an unassuming, solid, steady playing style and delivery that isn’t flashy or even too bold, but he makes the right moves when they need to happen. He also doesn’t have huge scoring or usage rates. Instead, he’s an elite lockdown defender — but that has its place, too.
Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star agrees that Anunoby is underrated. In a piece from Thursday, June 11, he wrote that Anunoby has “emerged as one of the best two-way players in the league” and that “even now, his college coach,” former IU coach Tom Crean, “believes the league doesn’t appreciate fully the depth of his importance.”
In the 2026 NBA Finals, Anunoby will be best remembered for his game-winning tip-in in Game 4, which gave the Knicks a 107-106 victory and a 3-1 series lead.
Mikal Bridges
Another hero of the NBA Finals for the Knicks was Mikal Bridges. Game 2 seems like forever ago, but Bridges was the difference-maker then. Brunson was having an off night. Karl-Anthony Towns got into foul trouble. So, Bridges stepped up and helped pull the Knicks to a victory in Game 2.
Bridges — who the Knicks famously acquired for five first-round picks in 2024 — posted 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and one steal in 41 minutes of Game 2 action. He’s quietly become one of this team’s secret weapons and proven that their investment in him was well worth it.
Mike Brown
Sure, Mike Brown has gotten attention as head coach of the Knicks. But, as with a lot of NBA coaches, the cameras panned more to the players than Brown during the NBA Finals.
Brown walked into this team in July 2025 and already had a solid roster on his hands. The team was already making it to the playoffs when he came around. He didn’t need a total makeover, and thankfully, he didn’t make unnecessary changes.
Brown could have fallen into the trap of making changes just for the sake of them, but he didn’t. Brown focused on a few key factors, largely with the roster he already had. The Knicks’ 3-point attempt rate went from 28th to 12th under him. Perhaps most important, Brown kept stars fresh by creating a deep and reliable bench, so they weren’t averaging so many minutes per game. Overall, Brown’s small but critical changes were key for New York.
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