On Tuesday, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 to win the NBA Cup. It will mark the first time since 1973 that the Knicks will hoist a championship banner.
Among all the prominent names who made an impact, Tyler Kolek was not to be outshone. He came off the bench to play 20 minutes and scored 14 points with five assists and five rebounds.
In the locker room, Kolek revived an iconic championship photo by Kobe Bryant. He was seen holding the trophy in front of him, his head down. Bryant popularized that photo after the 2001 NBA Finals.
Knicks sophomore Tyler Kolek recreates the Kobe championship photo pic.twitter.com/AfXKgybBQl
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 17, 2025
After the game, Kolek was philosophical when describing the Knicks' victory, per NBA NightCap.
Haslem to Tyler Kolek: "You played so god damn hard you got a hole in your sock" pic.twitter.com/IAOPkHVd92
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 17, 2025
Also, his teammate and NBA Cup MVP Jalen Brunson gave Kolek his props during the post-game press conference, per SNY Knicks.
“Played big time. Very happy for him. Maybe a surprise to a bunch of people, but many of you guys see how hard this works. This is big-time for him”
Jalen Brunson on Tyler Kolek in the NBA Cup Championship:
"Played big time. Very happy for him. Maybe a surprise to a bunch of people, but many of you guys see how hard this works. This is big-time for him" pic.twitter.com/6b9uq1BTWf
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 17, 2025
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So far, Kolek has played in 21 games and is averaging 10.2 minutes per game. Also, he averages 3.6 points per game and shoots 46.3% from the field.
Kolek is in his second NBA season. In 2024, he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers as the 34th pick. Later on, he was traded to the Knicks.
The story behind the Kobe Bryant pose.
In 2001, the LA Lakers won their second consecutive title over the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. At the time, Kobe Bryant was still a young hotshot coming into his own, with Shaquille O'Neal right there.
That year, Bryant married Vanessa, much to the ire of his parents, Joe and Pam. As a result, his parents didn't attend the wedding, and they became estranged.
It marked the first time that Bryant had won a title without his parents being there. After they won, he sat in the locker room all by himself, craddling the trophy.
In the process, he, with his head down, signaled a feeling of emptiness and hurt mixed with triumph.