The Knicks’ championship summer did not leave much room for a quiet reset. Fresh off a Game 5 Finals clincher in San Antonio and the franchise’s first NBA title in more than half a century, New York’s players spent the offseason moving between rehab rooms, television studios, parades and hometown celebrations before returning for camp.
Coach Mike Brown normally would have wanted the roster back around the practice facility in August, using the empty-calendar portion of the summer to begin laying the foundation for the next season. This time, he gave the champions room to enjoy what they had done.
“For them to take a mental break and recharge in whatever way works for them — cigars or no cigars, tequila or no tequila — that’s good,” Brown said.
There was hardly a complete break. New York’s title parade drew more than 2 million people, and the club’s players found themselves collecting city honors, appearing on national programs and carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy far beyond the five boroughs.
Brunson carried a championship summer into camp
Jalen Brunson, the Knicks captain and centerpiece of the title run, became the most visible face of the celebration. Two days after the championship, he joined the other New York starters on “Good Morning America,” then made individual stops at “The View” before reuniting with Karl-Anthony Towns and Brown on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Brunson also appeared on “Today,” “CBS Mornings” and at the TIME100 Sports Gala, where he shared the stage with figures including LeBron James and Prince Harry. He and several teammates attended both the World Cup and the US Open.
His biggest non-basketball assignment came just before training camp, when he hosted the season-opening episode of “Saturday Night Live.” Brunson became the fifth NBA player to host the show, joining Michael Jordan, James, Charles Barkley and Bill Russell. He also appeared with Knicks supporter Mariska Hargitay in a taped bit at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Brunson and Towns each made live WWE appearances in July. Brunson shared a ring with Roman Reigns, received a Knicks-themed title belt and saw Tyrese Haliburton enter as a distraction before Seth Rollins attacked Reigns. Towns backed Danhausen and delivered several chokeslams.
Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby also took ceremonial first pitches at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field.
The captain’s calendar included recovery work, too. Brunson underwent wrist surgery in July and said much of his summer was devoted to rehabilitation before his public commitments began.
“Honestly, I haven’t fully decompressed,” Brunson said. “I did get chances to relax and step away, but most of it was rehab. Once the cast came off and I was cleared, I had things I needed to do. I feel good. I know how to get to my happy place and how to reset.”
Championship trophy made the rounds
The Larry O’Brien Trophy was not confined to team functions. Towns had it flown to California for his August wedding to longtime girlfriend Jordyn Woods, saying the celebration needed the trophy present and that it traveled “first class.”
Towns and Woods later honeymooned in Kenya and Tanzania, where the Knicks’ run still reached them. He recalled hearing fans in open safari vehicles yelling, “Knicks in 5!” in the Serengeti.
Miles McBride, who grew up in Cincinnati, brought the trophy to Archbishop Moeller High School and displayed it during a Friday night football game. Players could submit offseason requests for time with the trophy, pending approval from the front office. McBride’s trip coincided with team president Leon Rose’s own scheduled time with it, but Rose made sure the trophy could make the Ohio visit.
“Shout-out to Leon for that,” McBride said.
Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson went straight into another celebration after the team flight returned from San Antonio. Shirtless in Brooklyn, the guards joined the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. Alvarado, a New York native acquired from New Orleans at midseason, said the title marked his best summer yet.
“My favorite summer ever,” Alvarado said. “I’m happy to be part of the story that’s happening.”
Alvarado said he would have celebrated New York’s championship privately even had he been playing for a rival.
Roster found its own ways to celebrate
Hart, one of the club’s biggest personalities, appeared on the game show “Password” in June. But his preferred celebration was closer to home: opening rare bottles from his wine collection.
“Everybody knows I’m a wine guy,” Hart said. “I got to open a lot of bucket-list wines this summer.”
Towns appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” soon after the Finals, while Hart, Anunoby and Mikal Bridges joined him for Brunson’s “SNL” episode.
Anunoby, usually the roster’s most private player, still had a full championship lap. His hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri, presented him with keys to the city. He had a speaking part in Brunson’s “SNL” monologue, landed on the cover of SLAM’s July edition, and saw his Game 4 Finals tip-in winner take home the ESPY Award for best play.
Brown also learned what a title does to a coach’s profile in New York. After the win over San Antonio, he and his wife went to the Polo Bar in Manhattan. The room stood and applauded when he entered.
“There was nowhere for me to hide,” Brown said.
That is the aftershock of putting a championship banner in Madison Square Garden: a summer built around recovery and preparation became a citywide victory tour, with the Knicks now carrying the spotlight into the next season.
