The Knicks are still riding the high of their first championship in 53 years, and the roster that got them there is walking back into the building mostly unchanged. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the starting group are locked in for another run.
That kind of continuity does not happen by accident, and it clearly has ownership fired up heading into training camp.
What James Dolan Said About The Knicks Future
GettyNew York Knicks owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose celebrate behind the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy
Speaking on a Sphere Entertainment earnings call, James Dolan let his excitement for the upcoming season show through in a big way.
“We’re gonna have the most fun season we’ve ever had in my ownership. Team’s coming back pretty much intact. You know who they are now, you’re gonna be with them every dribble, basket, FT. And if it turns out really well, we’ll do another parade, somewhere in New York.”
New York got through the Hawks, the 76ers and the Cavaliers before beating the Spurs in five games in the Finals, with Brunson taking home Finals MVP after carrying the offense all postseason.
That is the team Dolan is banking on. He is not hedging or playing it safe with his words, he is straight up saying he expects another parade, and he is saying it with the same group that just delivered the first one in 53 years.
What The Knicks Are Up Against Next
Getty New York Knicks
Running it back sounds simple on paper, but the East is not the same conference the Knicks just beat. Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded from Milwaukee to Miami. LeBron James signed with Philadelphia, where Jaylen Brown also landed after getting traded from Boston.
That gives the Sixers a loaded group of LeBron, Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Boston did not sit still either, adding former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson to fix a rim protection issue that hurt them after a first round exit.
Toronto could also get a boost, with a Kawhi Leonard trade still on hold while the NBA finishes looking into it. Every team around New York seems to be swinging big this summer.
New York’s answer to all that change was mostly staying the same. Brunson, Towns, Bridges, Anunoby and Hart are all back under contract.
For a franchise that waited more than five decades between championships, talking about a second parade this early would have sounded ridiculous not long ago. Now it just sounds like a team that knows exactly what it has.
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