Last week, I spoke with OG Anunoby about his new partnership with Essentia Water and an upcoming, mysterious ‘supercharged’ event that would give Knicks fans a chance to relive one of the defining moments of the team’s championship run.
On Tuesday, Anunoby and Essentia revealed their surprise. The Knicks forward appeared at the Essentia Supercharged Court, a temporary basketball court installed in Times Square between 42nd and 43rd streets. The free event brought basketball, music and interactive
activities to the middle of Manhattan, but the main attraction was OG recreating his Game Four tip-in from the NBA Finals.
With the Knicks trailing the Spurs and 1.2 seconds remaining, Anunoby tipped in the winning basket to complete New York’s comeback from 29 points down. That hand-of-God moment proved the capper for one of the wildest games of NBA postseason history, and the play immediately became part of Knicks legend.
Yesterday in Times Square, Anunoby recreated the scene for large crowd of excited fans. One difference: this time OG played the role of Jalen Brunson, taking shots while players from the legendary Gersh Park Basketball program tried to tip in his misses.
And we have a winner! This side-by-side video, courtesy of Courtside Buzz, puts Tuesday’s attempt next to the real thing:
The event was part of Essentia’s “Change the Equation” campaign, which the company has built around taking risks, pushing through pressure, and pursuing ambitious goals. According to the company, Anunoby’s championship season made him a natural fit.
When I spoke with him ahead of the event, Anunoby told me that Essentia was his “favorite thing to drink” and said the partnership provided an opportunity to give something back to the community. The Times Square court allowed fans something most of us couldn’t afford in the Finals: front row seats to the action. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s video from the event:
Go Knicks.
