On Friday, the hand heard ‘round the five boroughs and the larger body it belongs to turn 29 years old. In a stunning bit of coincidence, I offer thee a list of reasons to love OG Anunoby even more than you probably already do if you’re reading this. Then again, you could be a Spurs fan; there’s been a lot more cross-pollination between P&T and Pounding The Rock since last month’s NBA Finals.
If you are a Spurs fan, quit talking about how you “actually should’ve” won the Finals. San Antonio owned
the first quarters. The Knicks owned the other three. If you’re a fan of the side that wins actual trophies and not made-up analytical ones, enjoy this medium-dive into the Knick who puts the “Ohhhhh” in “jumbo wing.”
1) When the Knicks acquired Anunoby, one of the biggest question marks was his availability. OG had played in 89% of Toronto’s games his first three seasons, but missed a combined 49 games the following two. The Knicks were trading away two younger players in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, and would have to extend Anunoby that summer. Was the gamble on talent worth the depth being lost?
Spoiler: God, yes. Interestingly, since missing more than a month with an inflamed elbow that first abbreviated season in New York, Anunoby’s played in 86% of the Knicks’ games. Meanwhile, Quickley and RJ have played in 62% and 69% of the Raptors’, both respectively and niiiiiiice.
2) Last season, Anunoby’s free throws made per 36 minutes were up 25%. That’s pretty good! What change are YOU proudest of in 2026?
3) “Adjusted shooting” includes eight categories that measure an NBA player against a theoretical average: field-goal percentage, 2-point shooting, 3-point shooting, free throw, effective field goal, true shooting, free-throw attempt rate and 3-point attempt rate. 100 is average, anything above 100 above-average and you can take it from there. Only one Knick was above-average from all eight categories. You guessed it. The birthday boy.
4) Every postseason, the NHL awards the Conn Smythe Trophy to that year’s top playoff performer. The NBA doesn’t. If it did, last year’s Conn Smythe winner would’ve been OG. Over 17 playoff games, he averaged 20 points, six rebounds and 2.5 stocks on 56/49/85 shooting. You probably remember, but I’m not even a little tired of repeating it. And honestly, he looks better on the mound than half the Mets starters, too.
5) Another way of numerically translating OG’s playoff heroics: his postseason player efficiency rating was 23.8. That would have ranked seventh in the regular-season, behind only Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Nostradumbass, Luka Dončić, Kawhi Leonard and Jalen Duren. They say under the new CBA Big Threes have gone the way of the polar bear — extinct*. Jalen Brunson was as ruthless a Finals MVP as any guard we’ve seen. Karl-Anthony Towns was a Long Island iced tea of novel dominance, 3-point shooting like Dirk, facilitating like Joker, driving like Giannis, rebounding like Moses Malone and defending like Patrick Ewing. On top of those two, OG played at an MVP-level on both sides of the ball for two months. If that’s not a Big Three, there never was such a thing.
*I know, not yet. But soon enough.
6) You already know OG is a great defensive player. Two-time All-NBA All-Defense, in 2023 and this past season. Not only is his defensive disruption remarkable, so is its longevity: Anunoby is one of only three players who were All-Defense both seasons, three years apart. Can you guess the other two? I’ll give the answer at the end.
7) There is a stat under “per 100 possessions” called “defensive rating.” Last year OG’s was 112, while KAT’s was 110. In the playoffs Anunoby’s fell, but Towns’ rating led all playoff performers, period. I don’t know what “defensive rating” measures, but it seems like some B.S.
8) Anunoby had more than 100 dunks and 100 3-pointers last season. How cool is that? If rarity is your kink, it’s pretty hot. There were only two other players in the entire Association to do both. Any guesses?
LeBron James did neither, though came surprisingly closer to reaching 100 dunks (97) than 3s (77). I thought Jaylen Brown was a shoo-in, but he doesn’t even have 100 dunks the past two seasons combined. SGA only dunked 20 times last year. Chet Holmgren (12 dunks away from 100/100) and Kel’el Ware (eight dunks) were the close-but-no-cigar runners-up. You’ve probably already guessed Wembanyama is one of the answers. The other? Well, it isn’t the clip I’d hoped to use, but Trey Murphy III has enough money to hire a social media team. Get your people on Bluesky, yo.
Anunoby was 100/100 in 2026 and 2025. How cool/rare/hot is that? As far as what I can find in Knicks history — which only records dunks as far back as 1996-97 — it’s unprecedented. Not only had no Knick ever done it two years in a row, none did before OG period.
Towns managed the feat twice in Minnesota, back when he was still a kitten; his Knick high for dunks in a season is 76. When you start going back over the years, you realize there aren’t a ton of candidates. Julius Randle made the longballs, but never dunked more than 62 times in a year here. RJ Barrett? 40. Carmelo Anthony ‘s Knick season-high was 34. Young Melo, in his early Denver days, was more spry than you may recall. Even had a couple years early with over 150 dunks, a mark I was stunned to learn LeBron never reached once. But these were still the early 2000s; Anthony wouldn’t break the century-mark for treys in a campaign until the magical 2013 season.
Kristaps Porziņģis’ Knickerbocker peak was 78 dunks his sophomore year. I scraped every player I could think of slamming and splashing. Donte DiVincenzo only dunked 20 times in 2024. JR Smith’s Knick-best was 26. Latrell Sprewell’s was 29. If they’d tracked dunks earlier in Patrick Ewing’s career he’d have had multiple seasons with more than 100; alas, the Big Fella only made 27 3s all-time, regular-season and playoffs combined. Though I’d be remiss not to point out Ewing seemingly swished each and every one.
What was this about again? Oh yeah. Merry born day, OG! Deservedly, you need never pay for a meal in this town again. On the other hand, if wealth disparity weighs at all on your soul, you could afford to spring for your fellow New Yorkers every now and then.
*The other players who were All-Defense in 2023 and 2026: Bam Adebayo and Derrick White.
