The New York Knicks are one step away from basketball immortality and winning the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973.
It’s been a long time coming for the Knicks and their fandom, especially considering the fact that most of them have never seen a team this close to the championship.
There was the seven-game series back in 1994 where they fell just short against the Houston Rockets, and in 1999 when they took the eighth seed and ran with it all the way to the Finals, losing to the San Antonio
Spurs. However, this year just feels different.
The team’s comeback in Game 4 against the Spurs gave “team of destiny” vibes, and it will almost certainly be the shining moment should the Knicks finish the job and win the series.
However, history remembers the champions far more than the runner-ups. As of now, the Knicks do not have the championship secured; they need one more win to clinch. Champions are remembered forever, especially in New York City for a franchise that hasn’t seen it in over half of a century.
A win will lift the legacies of players like Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, both of whom have carried the Knicks to victory three times in the first four games. Brunson may even secure a Hall of Fame berth should he lead the Knicks to a title this season.
The Knicks have tasted glory at times throughout the last 50+ years, especially the past three with deep playoff runs. But now, they are on the doorstep of greatness. They just need to take one more step to feel that glory.
