Sports

New York Knicks Head to First NBA Finals Since 1999

Can the Knicks win it all or is this a long-time coming for an underperforming team?

Published MAY 26

New York Knicks Head to First NBA Finals Since 1999

Story

Above: The New York Knicks celebrate winning the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Rocket Arena on May 25. Image credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Spin

Optimist narrative

Not only have the Knicks won their last 11 games, they have done so with a point differential of +262 — the most by any team, in the regular season or playoffs, for the same stretch of games. While the Thunder and the Spurs are formidable teams, this stat for the Knicks shows just how dominant they've been; they're really capable of winning the whole thing.

USA Today

Cynical narrative

Should the Knicks go on to win the championship, it would be a long time coming for the organization. Simply put, they've been uncompetitive since 1999 when they made their last Finals appearance. Between 2001 and 2022, the team missed the playoffs in 16 seasons and only notched a total of eight postseason wins.

NBC New York