The New York Knicks secured the NBA championship on Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the Finals to claim their first title since 1973.
The Knicks finished the series four games to one, overcoming a late comeback attempt by the Spurs in the decisive game. The victory marks the end of a 53-year championship drought—the longest gap between titles in NBA history, according to league data.
Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a masterful 45 points in Game 5, earning the Bill Russell Trophy as Finals Most Valuable Player. The All-Star guard scored 10 consecutive points in the fourth quarter to help erase a deficit and seal the historic victory.
“For more than 50 years, New Yorkers have waited for this moment,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a statement. “Through near misses, heartbreak and a hope that every year could be our year, this city never stopped believing in the Knicks.”
The Knicks organization will hold a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan on Thursday, June 18. The parade will travel from Battery Park along Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where the team will be awarded keys to the city. City Hall and other municipal buildings will be illuminated in blue and orange to celebrate the victory.
This marks the Knicks’ third NBA championship. The franchise previously won titles in 1970 and 1973.