When the final buzzer sounded at Frost Bank Center on Saturday night, two things happened simultaneously. In San Antonio, Jalen Brunson burst into tears. In New York, thousands of people who had waited 53 years for this moment finally let go of all of it. What followed was one of the most memorable nights in the history of one of sport’s most storied franchises.
Brunson had just scored 45 points — a Knicks record in the NBA Finals — to lead New York back from a 16-point deficit in a 94-90 victory that sealed the 2026 NBA title. He was named Finals MVP. And when reporter Lisa Salters found him on the sideline, he had no prepared words. “Holy s—. I’ve got no words. Everything I ever dreamed of.” He paused. “I don’t know what I’m feeling. I’m in awe.” Then, when asked what it meant to win alongside his father as a member of the same organisation, he broke down completely.
The Man Who Gave $113 Million to Make This Happen
Long before Saturday night, Brunson made the decision that made all of it possible. In 2024, he signed a four-year extension with the Knicks worth $156.5 million — leaving as much as $113 million on the table compared to what he would have been eligible for had he waited a year for a five-year, $269 million deal. The move was considered unprecedented. It gave the Knicks the financial flexibility to bring in Mikal Bridges — his former Villanova teammate — and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Those additions, made possible by Brunson’s sacrifice, were integral to Saturday’s championship. Bridges scored 14 points in Game 5. Towns, who won his first NBA title after years of personal hardship, including the death of his mother during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, celebrated on the court with fiancée Jordyn Woods. Josh Hart, the third member of the Nova Knicks trio of former Villanova NCAA champions now turned NBA champions, added 13 points.
Brunson’s Finals averages — 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds on 38.9% shooting from three — placed him in elite company. The only players to average 26 or more points across three consecutive All-Star seasons in recent years are Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All of them are NBA champions. Now, so is Brunson.
“He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles, shoots contested shots without being sped up,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said during the series. “He’s a phenomenal player.” That may be the most understated tribute Brunson receives this week.
ALSO READ: The New York Knicks Are NBA Champions — 53 Years of Waiting Ended in San Antonio on Saturday Night
The Celebrities Who Were There When History Happened
The crowd at Frost Bank Center on Saturday was unlike anything a road Finals game typically produces. The Spurs had apparently taken steps to limit Knicks fan ticket purchases, but New York’s supporters still packed the building — including a remarkable collection of famous faces.
Sydney Sweeney travelled to San Antonio wearing a custom Jalen Brunson shirt and watched the Knicks erase yet another large deficit to win the championship. Spike Lee — season ticket holder for 41 years, present at every peak and valley this franchise has seen — was on the floor after the final buzzer, hugging players, coaches, and anyone else within reach. John Turturro and Tracy Morgan were there with him. Ben Stiller, who has been courtside throughout the Finals, left with Mike Brown’s whiteboard from Game 5 as a souvenir — reportedly in connection with a documentary he is shooting on his iPhone.
Timothée Chalamet has been at every game of the NBA Finals. When the buzzer sounded, he was on the floor, photographing the celebration on his phone. When a camera found him, he delivered the most quotable line of the night: “Way rather this than the Oscars.” He celebrated on the floor and later in the locker room alongside Brunson. He was right to have his priorities straight — the Knicks have not won in 53 years, and he will get many more chances at the Academy Award he was nominated for this year.
Patrick Ewing, who gave so much to this franchise and came so close to a title so many times, was emotional on the floor. He will receive his first championship ring as a Knicks ambassador. Walt Frazier, Charles Oakley, Allan Houston, and John Starks — the men who defined the Knicks through eras of greatness and near-misses — were all present. Starks, who was on the 1994 team that came within one game of the title, shared a long hug with Jordan Clarkson.
Prince Harry was in the building. So were Hayden Christensen, Jerry O’Connell, Giancarlo Esposito, Fat Joe, Josh Safdie, Cam Skattebo of the New York Giants, and Tracy Morgan. Spurs legend Tim Duncan watched from a luxury suite alongside former coach Gregg Popovich — two men who have been through five championships of their own, watching the Knicks claim one for the first time since they were children.
New York Reacted as New York Does
As the celebration unfolded in Texas, the city that owns this team in every emotional sense it is possible to own a sports franchise erupted. Thousands gathered in Central Park, at Radio City Music Hall, and at Madison Square Garden — which opened its doors for a watch party. Manhattan’s streets filled with people who had waited their entire lives for this night. Some of them had parents and grandparents who had also waited their entire lives.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted one word: “HISTORY.”
Stephen A. Smith, a Bronx native and lifelong Knicks fan, was emotional on ESPN. “As a friend, as a teammate,” Josh Hart said of Brunson, “it’s funny because you know he’s one of the best players in the league, and you’re happy that he’s starting to get some recognition.” He’s getting more than recognition now. He’s getting a ring — and New York is getting a parade on Thursday.
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