The Knicks only won the 2026 NBA championship simply because of Trae Young not playing, according to former NBA star Jeff Teague.
Led by Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks completed one of the most historic runs in NBA history, dominating the entire 2026 NBA Playoffs to clinch their championship for the first time in 52 years.
Trae Young
Position PG
Age 27
Height 188 cm
Weight 82 kg
Birth place Texas, United States of America
But from the perspective of Jeff Teague, the Knicks simply won it all because Trae Young was not playing.
The former NBA star took an intriguing jab at the Knicks during a media appearance with the Club 520 Podcast at Fanatics Fest NYC.
“Ya’ll know what Trae do to the Knicks. Only reason the Knicks won this year is because Trae Young wasn’t playing,” Teague told the crowd.
Trae Young hammered his case as a staunch enemy of the Knicks. His playoff run with the Atlanta Hawks to send New York home in the opening round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs is still fresh in the memory of the Knicks fanbase
His banter with Knicks fans and ice-cold clutch moments to completely stun New York made him one of the ultimate modern villains of the franchise's history.
But this season, Young saw the most challenging year of his NBA career. Battling MCL and quad issues, the star guard was limited to just 15 games. Amid a significant drop-off to his numbers, the Hawks also dealt him to the Washington Wizards ahead of February's NBA trade deadline.
As Young is now set to rally the Wizards next season along with Anthony Davis and reigning No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, the Knicks can only prepare for a brand-new chapter of their rivalry against the All-Star guard.
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