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The New York Knicks celebrate the NBA Cup. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks are this season’s NBA Cup champions after defeating the Spurs. They become the third team to win the Cup since it started back in the 2023 season. The Lakers and the Bucks were the first two NBA Cup champions.
Those first two teams decided to raise banners in their arenas for winning the Cup. When the NBA invented this concept, they envisioned it as something that teams would want to celebrate. It seems that the Knicks have something else in mind.
Despite head coach Mike Brown talking about how he was excited to see the banner go up in Madison Square Garden, it doesn’t look like that will happen. The Knicks won’t be raising a banner for winning the NBA Cup.
GettyThe New York Knicks celebrate winning the NBA Cup. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Knicks Choose Not to Raise Banner for NBA Cup
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Knicks have decided not to raise a banner in MSG. They will become the first team to win the NBA Cup to make this decision. The Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973, but they do have banners from winning division and conference titles.
It’s weird that the Knicks have decided to make this decision, but it clearly didn’t come from the roster or the coaching staff. They seemed excited to win the championship and were happy to celebrate it. Of course, they know that the job isn’t finished.
The Knicks’ ultimate goal is to win an NBA title. Heading into this season, the Knicks were one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Right now, they sit second in the Eastern Conference standings. New York is going to focus on winning the title.
James Dolan has a track record of making some strange decisions when it comes to the Knicks. There is a good chance that he is the one who decided to make this decision instead of Leon Rose. The Knicks will still celebrate with their home fans on Friday.
GettyKnicks center Karl-Anthony Towns grabs a rebound. (Photo by Kirby Lee – Pool/Getty Images)
The Knicks Are Looking to Make NBA History
To this point, no one has won the NBA Cup and the NBA Championship in the same season. Neither the Lakers nor the Bucks were able to seal the deal. The losers in those seasons, the Pacers and the Thunder, did make the Conference Finals both seasons, with the Thunder winning it all last season.
New York has a chance to be the first team to accomplish that feat. They could make a big move at the trade deadline to further increase their chances, as they have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, the Knicks have the second-best offense in the league with the current roster.
The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals last season before losing to the Pacers in six games. Since that loss, they have been singularly focused on making the Finals and winning their first title since 1973.