Ring night didn't go as planned for the New York Knicks. After putting their 2025-26 championship banner in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, next to the newly added NBA Cup banner, and receiving rings with an iced out MSG built inside of them, the Knicks were unable to finish Tuesday night with a win, losing their opener to LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers.
But the loss might actually be a good omen for the rest of the season as New York attempts to become the first repeat champion since the Warriors in 2017-18.
In the last eight years since there have been eight different champs, the only other team to lose on ring night was the Los Angeles Lakers fresh out the bubble in 2020 (when the season didn't start until December and
there were no fans in the arena). However, before the Knicks, the last champion to lose their opener in a normal season was the last champion to repeat -- the Warriors in 2017.
QUIET: LeBron shut down chirping fan in Sixers debut
It all makes sense now! That's why the Knicks gave their fans those weird shirts before the game. They were calling their shot. Make room for another banner!
OK, fine, that's a bit of a stretch. My hamstring is feeling a little tight right now. But while this small trend doesn't guarantee a Knicks repeat, it does illustrate that a win on ring night wouldn't have guaranteed future success either. In fact, with the emotional toll these games take on the home team, it's a wonder they don't lose more often.
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Three-time all-star Richard Hamilton, who won on his ring night with the Pistons in 2004, said it was the toughest game to play in. "It brought back a moment and excitement that only a few NBA players have won," Hamilton told me in a recent interview previewing the season. "When you're able to watch that banner go up in the rafters and get that ring, sometimes the emotions are so high, you forget that you have to play the game. So it's tough."
Through that emotion, the Knicks still played a competitive game they led by as much as 10 points and gave the home crowd a reason to stick around to the end. Now that it's over, the real work begins in giving those fans a reason to stick around to the end of the season.
Quick hits: NFL quarterback rankings ... Arch Manning's vow ... and more
- Christian D'Andrea is wondering what's wrong with Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott in his latest quarterback rankings.
- Caroline Darney chopped it up with Bengals QB Joe Burrow about his passion for chess.
- Bill Self pushed back against criticism after adding an NBA draft pick to his Kansas roster.
- Arch Manning vows to be better and "let it rip" amid growing concerns of Texas benching him.
- Jeff Saturday defended Nick Sirianni after his disastrous press conference about Jalen Hurts.
- Tracy Morgan made a brutal Bronny James diss before the Sixers-Knicks opener.
- Kyrie Irving thoughtfully explained why his NBA career may end earlier than some of his counterparts.
- Guardians pitcher Cade Smith had a perfect response to Junior Caminero's elaborate home run trot.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Knicks losing on ring night is already their first good omen
