You know what’s poppin’?
The Spurs and the Thunder are five deep going seven.
Pause.
Mike Brown
On Jalen Brunson’s work ethic and leadership after yet another sweep:
“His work ethic is second to none. On top of that, he’s pretty even-keeled. Never gets too high, never gets too low. And when your leader is that way — which you need to have, especially when you hit adversity
— it’s easy to get everybody else to follow.”
On the identity and sacrifice behind the Knicks’ Finals run:
“Our identity lies in our intangibles. And I go back to what our standard is. Guys on [the Spurs and Warriors], they all sacrificed. They all had a competitive spirit that was unmatched. They all stayed connected through tough times. They all believed in each other and the process while holding each other accountable. Those intangibles are what I’m starting to see with our group as being what our identity is, which is similar to some of the other teams I’ve been fortunate, blessed and lucky to be a part of that have made it that far.”
Jalen Brunson
On the team’s collective sacrifice during the Finals run:
“We have good character guys in there. We have guys that want to win. We have guys that are willing to sacrifice. It’s a team effort.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On keeping the ECF celebrations muted and getting back to work:
“The celebrations were minimal. We really wanna get back to work. We know what happened last time we had the long layoff, so we already talked after the game right away about preparing, getting to practice, back to the work. That’s what’s made us special and it’s what’s gonna give us a chance to win the next series.”
On adjusting to yet another long break before the Finals’ Game 1:
“We’ll do a better job this time around of just preparing for that kind of situation to happen. I think obviously the coaches have done an amazing job getting us ready for Game 1, but obviously we didn’t go out there and shoot well. I think I looked up at one point and we were at four percent from three. So we just got to figure out a way to get those kinds of game-like reps. I think the coaching staff heard us loud and clear: We want to get back to work to keep the rhythm and maybe change up the philosophy of how we have those scrimmages that we didn’t do last time. I think we’ll be better prepared. But at the end of the day, it’s all about execution, desperation, energy. We got to bring it Game 1. This team’s hungry, and that’s the most important thing. Even with an amazing, historic win we had tonight, the celebrations were at a minimum. We really want to get to work. We asked Coach [Mike Brown], can we get back to work quick. We know what happened last time we had a long layoff, so we already talked after the game right away about preparing, getting to practice, getting back to the work. It’s what made us special and it’s what’s going to give us a chance to win the next series.”
On reviving hope in New York as a lifelong Knicks fan:
“When I was growing up, watching the Knicks, it was just hoping one day you could just put the jersey on. [I] Never knew I’d be in this position at this mic talking about us going to the Finals and the city believing in us. There’s nowhere better in the world when [Madison Square] Garden has hope.”
On the collective effort behind the Finals run:
“We got to this point because we worked together. We’ve been a team. We unified. The collective group has shown up in spots when we need to.”
On acknowledging fans’ celebrations but recognizing there’s still work to do:
“Experience teaches you a lot. This is my third conference finals in a row, and I finally got over the hump, finally got to the Finals. I’m gonna enjoy this moment. It’s OK for New York, the fans, us, our fan base to enjoy this moment and be jubilant about this. But for us as the players, we understand that the job’s not done, we’ve got to get back to work.”
On Brunson’s commitment to the work behind the scenes:
“The magic’s in the work; he’s a testament of that. He believes in that. He showcases that every single day to all of us and drives us all to be better.”
On his own willingness to sacrifice for winning:
“I’ve always said I’m willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to impact winning and help this team win. That’s the blessing of our group.”
Josh Hart
On the chicken-wing man:
“You got chicken wings. You supposed to be asking questions, and you went and got chicken wings. Hell no. You don’t get nothing. Then wings are hitting though.”
On keeping a selfless mindset through the Knicks’ 11-game win streak:
“I don’t think a switch flipped per se. This is a selfless team. Being unselfish, I think that’s the biggest thing. And where we’re at right now, everyone is unselfish. We’re willing to sacrifice numbers and stats for the betterment of the team. And I think when we do that, we’re playing our best basketball.”
On the surreal journey from Villanova to the NBA Finals:
“Yeah, it’s something that is surreal. When you’re in college and you’re in that locker room, you always kind of — you know, the goal is the NBA. And you know the percent chance that you guys are gonna be on the same team is very slim, if not none. And it’s always something you talk about and dream about, but you know the reality is almost impossible. So the fact that it actually came to fruition is super cool, because I know the time that these guys put in. I know where their hearts are. We already share a bond and a brotherhood for life, and this is just another step there. Obviously, this is not the ultimate goal. But, you know, you just keep adding memories to that, and these are memories that we’ll have for a lifetime.”
Miles McBride
On whether self-doubt crept in during his journey from joining the Knicks in 2021 to making the Finals:
“For sure. For sure. It was some tough, long nights.”
On the ups and downs of his role this season:
“Shout out to God for keeping my head right. Been a lot of ups and downs individually. From not playing to getting thrust into a rotation. High minutes, low minutes. It’s been a lot. But it’s all worth it in the end.”
Mikal Bridges
On embracing his role after the Eastern Conference clincher:
“Everybody out there is trying to do just one thing: win. All trying to play hard, at the end of the day, just trying to get a Knicks win.”
On being grateful to be part of the Knicks’ core:
“I think it’s definitely a blessing to be a piece of the puzzle, especially in this organization. You know, like JB was saying, just grateful to be in this position, the organization believing in me personally, you know, bringing me over here. But there’s no other player, no other guard that I wanna be alongside besides JB. So I’m just very grateful to be in this position, and you know, I just gotta keep it going.”
Walt Frazier
On his message to Jalen Brunson after the ECF title:
“I just told the maestro to keep doing it. He’s very level-headed, always wants to do team-oriented things. He’s very focused.”
On the Knicks’ pride and momentum during the Finals run:
“They have a lot of pride in there. A lot of pride. Let’s see what happens. They’re on a roll.”
On how the Knicks have elevated their pace and performance:
“The last 11 games, the way they’re getting up and down the court, everyone is moving and grooving. Every game they seem to get better and better (with) movement, defense. I think the pace is what’s really changed. They can go on runs now, 10 or 15 points, and just blow the game right open. And they weren’t doing that during the regular season.”
On sharing history if the Knicks win a title:
“It’s good for me. It’s a resurrection. They’re talking about me more now than then. It’s the same thing now with these guys. When they start winning, they got to bring us up. That’s what we’re comparing. They’re saying Brunson is better than Clyde or he’s better than [Patrick] Ewing, [that] he’s the greatest Knick.”
On adjusting to life after being traded to Cleveland:
“I was preparing myself for my retirement. I was reading self-help books, something I would have never done if I stayed in New York. It turned out to be a blessing, but I was devastated when I got traded.”
On how long it took to forgive the Knicks for trading him:
“It took me about seven or eight years. I didn’t follow the game after I retired. I was trying to adjust to life. The biggest thing I found was that I had to control my ego. My phone isn’t ringing off the hook no more and the Knicks had moved on to the next Clyde.”
John Starks
On his advice to the Knicks entering the Finals:
“Just enjoy the moment, the most important thing that these guys do. You never know when you’re gonna get back. When we lost the Finals in ’94, I thought we’d be back a couple of times, [which] didn’t happen for me and my teammates, for some of us. Just enjoy the moment.”
On why this roster understands what it takes to win:
“A lot of these guys have been through a championship in college with the Villanova guys. They understand what it takes. We’ve got a great leader in Jalen [Brunson] and Karl-Anthony Towns. I’m excited about it. These are such even-keeled individuals. All those guys. I think Leon [Rose] and [William Wesley] did a great job putting together like-minded individuals. And that’s what it takes. Guys that are not gonna get too high, get too low, and they cheer for one another and they like one another. That’s what it takes, to have that togetherness, because things can get tough. You got to know who’s in the same boat as you. You don’t want to see guys jumping ship. And these guys don’t jump ship. If the boat’s gonna go down, they’re gonna go down together.”
On the Knicks’ historic 11-game run and two-way dominance:
“I haven’t seen nothing like this. You probably have to go back to the 76ers, when Moses [Malone] said, ‘Fo,’ Fo,’ Fo.’ ’ … We’re rolling right now. The team should feel good, and all the work that they put in over the year has culminated into what you see. In order to do what you’re doing, both sides of the ball have to be played very well. And those guys are playing both sides of the ball very well — defensively, offensively. They’re executing, cutting down on the turnovers, just enjoying one another. The atmosphere that’s in this arena, wherever we go — on the road, at home — New York is just representing. They understand the moment.”
On seeing franchise legends hand out the 2026 Eastern Conference trophy:
“That’s legacy there. Those two guys was pillars of this organization for so many years. To be able to see them hand out the trophy, it means a lot.”
On celebrating the Knicks’ return to the Finals:
“Just a special moment. I’m happy for those guys because they did it together.”
Mark Messier
On what it takes to end a championship drought:
“It’s a selfless endeavor trying to win a championship. And the Knicks have figured out a way to play together and sacrifice themselves for the team, and it’s being led by a warrior in Brunson.”
On the city rallying around the Knicks:
“It’s just great to see. Everybody is caught up in it.”
On staying relaxed under pressure and trusting yourself in championship moments:
“If you’re thinking about consequences, that’s when things are not going to flow for you. You have to trust yourself. You have to do what you’ve done 1,000 times and not let the moment and pressure tighten your instincts, your natural motion that you’ve done thousands of times. Jalen has shown that he’s not afraid to fail. And I think, because of it, he’s able to get himself in that relaxed state under the most pressurized moments. And you see that when you’re talking about Jordan or Kobe or Larry Bird or any of the great players who’ve played the game. Magic Johnson. They trusted themselves implicitly in those moments because they’ve done it so many times and they’re able to stay in that flow state. And they’re not afraid.”
On embracing the weight of ending a long championship drought:
“Trying to do something that hadn’t been done at that time in 54 years was an amazing opportunity for me. It was something I really leaned into and felt the enormity of it. Generations of fans who have been waiting to see a Stanley Cup on the Madison Square Garden ice. And then to win it at home in a Game 7 [against the Canucks] was just incredible.”
On why the Knicks are easy to root for during this run:
“They’re an easy team to root for when you watch them. They’re celebrating each other. They’re seemingly devoid of ego, which sometimes can be a problem. And then it has to be coached and taught and mentored to the team, to the culture, and it seems like Brunson is doing that. And of course he can always lead by example. And nobody is playing harder on the court or wants to win more than him.”
