The New York Knicks won the NBA championship for the first time since 1973 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at the Spurs' Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The Knicks clinched the best-of-seven series 4-1 over the Spurs to secure the title [3, 4, 6].

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with a game-high 45 points and was named the Finals MVP. He said, "I have no words. It's everything I dreamed of. I'm in awe. It's why I came to New York. Whenever someone counted us out, we found a way to come back and do something about it." [5, 6]

The Knicks had a memorable playoff run with only three losses overall and took an early 3-1 lead in the Finals. Notably, they made a historic comeback in Game 4, overturning a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 at Madison Square Garden [3, 4, 5, 6]. President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the Finals on June 7 when the Knicks led the series 2-0 at home in New York [7, 8].

Thousands of fans packed New York City streets and watch parties celebrated the victory. Elizabeth Madigan, a lifelong Knicks fan, said, "I've been waiting for this, honestly most of my life. The last time the Knicks won, I was 6 months old, and so I can't begin to describe how excited I am. It's been unbelievable." Jake Minicucci added, "This city is electric. I've never gotten so many head nods, everybody knowing we are in it for the Knicks together." [1]

However, the celebrations also turned violent overnight on June 14. At least 63 people were arrested and ten police officers were injured during unrest that included shootings and arson. A 17-year-old was shot near Times Square and taken to a hospital. Five school buses used for World Cup transportation were torched or destroyed in the violence [9, 10, 11]. Knicks owner James Dolan urged fans to celebrate safely: "We need to tell everybody in New York that we know that they're celebrating, we want them to have a great time. Please be safe. Don't get hurt, don't hurt anybody." [9]

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani echoed the call for responsibility, saying, "As we celebrate, be responsible, look out for one another, stay safe, be smart, and make this a night that..." [1]

A ticker tape parade for the Knicks is scheduled for June 18 in New York City to honor the championship victory [12, 10].