The New York Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought on Saturday night, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The victory secured the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 and capped off a dominant postseason run led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and first-year head coach Mike Brown.
While Brunson’s 45-point performance stole the headlines on the court, Brown created one of the night’s most memorable moments after the final buzzer. During the championship celebration, the Knicks coach broke into a loud rendition of “Who Let the Dogs Out?” as players joined him on stage after receiving the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Brown’s celebration quickly went viral, but the song was more than a spontaneous moment. It was a callback to a story he shared before the NBA Finals and a reflection of the identity he believed defined his championship team.
Mike Brown Explains “Who Let the Dogs Out?” Knicks Celebration
Brown first referenced the song during NBA Finals media day while discussing his time coaching youth flag football in San Antonio.
“We were awesome. He was the offensive coordinator, I was the defensive coordinator, and we actually dominated the league,” Brown said. “We had a cheer with all our parents, and let them sing.”
That cheer centered around the Baha Men hit “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
After the Knicks secured the championship, Brown revived the tradition during the trophy presentation. When asked about his coaching journey and first NBA championship as a head coach, he instead joined his players in singing the song.
“We got some dogs on this team, baby!” Brown shouted. “New York City is full of dogs, and we came to get it!”
The chant quickly spread through the celebration as players and coaches joined in.
The message reflected the mentality Brown repeatedly praised throughout the postseason. New York built its championship run on resilience, physical defense and a willingness to fight through adversity.
That mentality was on display again in Game 5.
The Knicks scored only 13 points in the first quarter and trailed by as many as 16 points. They were still down 10 with less than eight minutes remaining before mounting another comeback to close out the series.
Jalen Brunson Leads New York Knicks to Historic NBA Finals Victory
Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award trophy after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals
Brown’s celebration came after one of the greatest performances in Knicks history.
Brunson scored a game-high 45 points on 14-for-27 shooting and delivered the go-ahead basket with 65 seconds remaining. His performance earned him Finals MVP honors and helped secure the franchise’s first title in more than five decades.
According to ESPN Insights, Brunson became just the fourth player listed at 6-foot-2 or shorter to win NBA Finals MVP, joining Stephen Curry, Tony Parker and Isiah Thomas.
The championship capped a remarkable season for Brown as well.
According to Marc Stein in The Stein Line, Brown was “at best” the Knicks’ sixth choice after the organization unsuccessfully pursued several coaches already under contract, including Jason Kidd, Ime Udoka, Chris Finch, Quin Snyder and Billy Donovan.
Brown ultimately accepted the job after being dismissed by the Sacramento Kings during the 2024-25 season.
His first year in New York ended with both an NBA championship and an NBA Cup title.
Following the victory, Karl-Anthony Towns acknowledged the significance of the accomplishment.
“I think, even for us, I don’t think we understand the magnitude of what we’ve just done,” Towns said on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Josh Hart also credited Brown’s influence throughout the season.
“Mike was invaluable to this run,” Hart said. “He knows what it is to be a champion. He knows how to build a team, how to build habits that will put you in this position.”
For Brown, the championship was the culmination of a coaching journey that included stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors. And after finally reaching the mountaintop as a head coach, he celebrated the moment in a way that perfectly captured the spirit of his team.
The Knicks waited 53 years for another title. When it finally arrived, Brown made sure everyone knew exactly who let the dogs out.
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