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00:00The Knicks are the champions for the first time in 53 years.
00:06My Knicks win it all.
00:09Shine time starts right now.
00:17Fox to Wemby.
00:18Wemby tries a three, puts it up, off the mark.
00:20Ananobi the rebound.
00:22It's over.
00:23It's over.
00:24Knick fans, this is not a dream.
00:26Your long, long wait has ended.
00:28Go ahead and cry.
00:30After 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA champions once again.
00:37Congratulations.
00:38You're the 2026 NBA champion.
00:48Hey, New York.
00:50I'm sorry it took so long, but here we are, and hopefully it won't take that long again.
00:56Yeah!
00:5953 years.
01:00The drought is over after 53 years.
01:04On Saturday nights, my New York Knicks, your New York Knicks, our New York Knicks, ended
01:10the dark ages, ended the futility, ended the era that honestly I didn't even know if we
01:16could ever get through.
01:17Knicks fans weren't sure forever if this was possible after the torture that they went
01:23through for so long.
01:25The Knicks win game five in San Antonio to knock off the Spurs, and as you just heard
01:29Mike Breen on the final call, yeah, let the tears flow.
01:35Champs, there it is, front page of the Post on Sunday morning.
01:40Champs, we're number one.
01:42Hell yeah!
01:44Jalen Brunson dropped in 45.
01:47Parade is going to be on Thursday in New York City, but the celebration rightly well underway.
01:52That was the most meaningful championship of my lifetime, and I know that there are Knicks
01:58fans who understand exactly what I'm talking about.
02:01This team was so lovable, so likable, so dominant in the postseason, plus 283.
02:07Plus 283, the greatest plus-minus point differential in the history of the NBA postseason, and it
02:14almost sounds like a contradiction.
02:16They trailed for 72% of the minutes in the NBA Finals, but they just kept coming back and
02:25showing heart and showing hustle and Jalen Brunson, unbelievable, and this, this is a celebration
02:32that's going to last a lifetime.
02:33I'm 49 years old.
02:35I wondered aloud if I was ever going to see the Knicks win a title.
02:39To see it and watch it with my kids, I mean, it was unbelievable, and the emotion for so
02:46many fans and so many people who had to sit there and remember the Derek Fisher days, and
02:52Jeff Hornacek, and David Fisdale, and Frankie Nilekina, and Phil Jackson.
02:59I mean, just you think about all the nonsense, and Eddie Curry, and Isaiah Thomas, and before
03:05the Fulnery, and then this team, I mean, Jalen Brunson, the most likable, dominant king
03:10of New York superstar that you could find, and OG Ananobi with the moments and the tip-in
03:16of a lifetime in New York, and, you know, the Nova Boys, and, you know, Mike Brown, just
03:22unbelievable, and the sheer joy, and jubilation, and celebration, and sweet relief, right?
03:31I mean, that's what it was, and I loved being home with my family, but the streets of New
03:36York on Saturday, that's how you celebrate a championship, and the bars were unbelievable.
03:42It reminded me, back in 2003, when Aaron Boone hit that homer, and I lived on the Upper East
03:48Side, and we went out to the bars right after that home run.
03:52I mean, this, this is my favorite video.
03:54This exact video right here, everyone's just going nuts, and you're hugging everyone, and
03:59everyone's your best friend, even though you just met.
04:01I mean, this, this is everything, and even as I reference the Yankees and Boone, you
04:06got to remember, as I know you do, this is a Knicks town, and, you know, when the Yankees
04:12win, half the city's rooting against the Yankees.
04:14When the Giants win, half the city's rooting against them.
04:17When the Rangers win, there are people rooting against them.
04:20The Knicks, that's New York's team, New York City's team, Manhattan's team, and this team
04:27as dominant, as lovable, as likable as it gets.
04:30I mean, this was something so special.
04:32This was something that was so memorable.
04:35A championship that was going to last a lifetime.
04:39No more conversations about, you know, John Starks and Rolando Blackman.
04:44No more conversations about Patrick Ewing and the finger roll.
04:48No more conversations about Charles Smith against the Chicago Bulls.
04:52No more conversations about 1999 and, you know, Patrick Ewing not being able to play
04:59in those NBA Finals.
05:00I talked to Starks today on my SiriusXM radio show.
05:04He called Saturday night one of the best nights of his life.
05:09I was getting so emotional watching that game, but really, truly emotional watching Patrick
05:17Ewing holding the Larry O'Brien trophy next to Jalen Brunson.
05:20And the way that the Knicks were able to win this game, I mean, it was just remarkable.
05:25And you got to remember, it was kind of right out of central casting.
05:28They were down by 16 points, and it didn't even matter.
05:32They won all three games on the road in San Antonio during this series.
05:38The Spurs were favored to win the series.
05:41The Spurs were favored Saturday night by five and a half points, and none of it mattered.
05:45Because this team, just that, the epitome of a team.
05:51The most memorable, special, unbelievable championship that I have ever seen.
05:58And with the Finals MVP very much up for grabs after four games, my guy, Jalen Brunson,
06:04left no doubts with his performance in the clincher, carrying the Knicks with 45 of their 94 points.
06:13My confidence comes from my work ethic.
06:16Every time I got the ball, all I can think about is all the hours in the summer.
06:22For every summer I had, since I ever could remember putting, making this a reality.
06:29So, whenever I had the ball, I'm just thinking about just me alone in the gym.
06:32I love Jalen Brunson.
06:34Jalen Brunson, 45 points in a clinching game.
06:39Are you kidding me?
06:40Jalen Brunson puts the Knicks, New York City, every Knicks fan nationwide,
06:48every Knicks fan in San Antonio for that game, put them on the back and said,
06:52I'm carrying you to a championship.
06:54My goodness.
06:56Sometimes stat lines can be overrated.
06:58This is a masterpiece.
07:01And when he just absolutely took it to the San Antonio Spurs, it was unbelievable.
07:06I mean, it's Monday.
07:08I'm not going to sit here and recap the game from Saturday.
07:10But the Knicks couldn't hit water if they fell out of a bone in the first half of this game.
07:15The only one who could get it done was Jalen Brunson.
07:18And my goodness, 45 points.
07:20I mean, that is an all-timer.
07:23When you consider, look at this, 45 points from Brunson, 49 points for the rest of the team.
07:29And you consider the most points in a closeout game on the road since Michael Jordan in 98,
07:3615 points in the fourth quarter of the NBA Finals.
07:39That's the most since Michael Jordan in 98.
07:43Jalen Brunson is everything.
07:45He is everything.
07:47And his work ethic, the way he changed the culture, the accountability, everything that
07:53goes into the equation, the only proper way to say it and express it is thank you, Jalen Brunson.
08:00Thank goodness the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson.
08:05Jalen Brunson, this is not exaggeration or hyperbole, has changed our lives.
08:10I mean, simple as this, look at this board right here, eight playoff series wins in four
08:17seasons and a championship with Jalen Brunson.
08:21Before Brunson signed, previous 22 seasons, one playoff series win.
08:29The Brunson stats and facts and figures are everything.
08:34The feel is a different level, but this, eight playoff series wins with them, one in the
08:41prior 22 years.
08:43That tells you all you need to know.
08:46Jalen Brunson's likability, team-oriented play, leaving over $100 million on the table
08:53to win.
08:54I mean, look at this.
08:56Fifth player, this is just amazing, with 30 or more points per game and two or more steals
09:02per game in the NBA Finals in the last 40 years.
09:06Fifth most career points per game in NBA Finals history.
09:11And look at those numbers.
09:13Look at that.
09:15He averaged 33 points a game in the NBA Finals.
09:19Obviously, you have the Brunson burner to win game number one, and he is the heartbeats
09:25of the New York Knicks, and he is now entrenched forever as a champion.
09:30And look, I want to stay very consistent on a couple of things, right?
09:35And there's still many more years for Jalen Brunson, thankfully, as a Knick.
09:39The greatest Knick ever is Walt Clyde Frazier.
09:42I think Jalen Brunson is now number two ahead of Patrick Ewing and ahead of Willis Reed.
09:47I still believe, and this was a topic even on Inside the NBA, after the game with Jalen
09:53and Rick Brunson.
09:54Look, I still think that Shaq is the greatest free agent signing in the history of the NBA.
10:00Jalen Brunson would move ahead of Kevin Durant now that they won a championship or won it
10:04like this, and Brunson delivered the goods with 45 points in a road clincher.
10:09I mean, this is next-level stuff.
10:12And what Brunson did with his team-oriented play, what Brunson did with his domination,
10:18and I keep calling it Derek Jeter approach, right?
10:22Saving his best for when it matters the most.
10:25Look, Brunson's now in a class by himself.
10:28It's no longer a comparison to Jeter.
10:31It's Jalen Brunson.
10:33Jalen Brunson, as dominant, as likable a superstar as you could find.
10:37Then, you know, you got all these folks who were saying, oh, you can't have Jalen Brunson
10:42be the alpha dog to winning a championship.
10:44Are you kidding me?
10:46That's amateur hour.
10:47It always was, and we were ranting against the Twitter tough guys, the Becky Hammonds,
10:53the Colin Cowherds of the world forever.
10:56Of course you can win a title with Jalen Brunson, and of course this was predictable.
11:01I just, I can't get enough.
11:03And the way that he's able to handle his business, the way he was able to go and kick ass
11:08and
11:08take names, the way these Knicks were 4-0 in clinching scenarios in the postseason, never
11:15left anything to chance when they had an opportunity to clinch a series in all four levels en route
11:21to a championship, the way that they won three games on the road in these finals, that's all
11:27about the mentality and the approach from Jalen Brunson.
11:30It's who he is, it's what he does, it's what makes him special.
11:34He is the king of New York.
11:36That, and I've been screaming this forever here on Shine Time, I wouldn't trade Jalen Brunson
11:42for anyone.
11:43And I think that there were some people who just thought that that was lip service, or
11:47I love the Knicks, I'll say it again.
11:49You could take any player you want in the NBA.
11:53I start my team and I win and I beat your team because I have Jalen Brunson.
11:57It's as simple as that.
11:59And now, no more questions.
12:01No more conversation.
12:03He is world champ, NBA champion.
12:06Save the city, save the franchise.
12:09Save generations of Knicks fans who never saw it like me.
12:13Jalen Brunson, thank you, thank you, thank you.
12:17And let's thank the man who brought Jalen Brunson to the Knicks and assembled this championship
12:21roster.
12:21That is Leon Rose, longtime agent turned team president.
12:25They spoke with Ernie Johnson on the stage after the win.
12:29How much satisfaction do you get?
12:31How much satisfaction do you get out of seeing a team you pieced together bring it to this
12:37point?
12:39It's really, there's not, there aren't really words you can put into what these guys have
12:45done, the character that they have, the fight they have, the grit they have, the never say
12:51die.
12:52That is incredible.
12:54Incredible the run that they've been on.
12:56You know, the guy behind you right here, Carl Anthony Towns, has said you have instilled a
13:01family atmosphere.
13:02How did you do that?
13:04Just by caring about each other, just by caring about each other, and making sure that we
13:11all look out for one another, have each other's back, sacrifice, and do it for the better good.
13:19That's perfect from Leon Rose, absolutely perfect.
13:22And he brought in Jalen Brunson, and then everyone and everything around Jalen Brunson,
13:27and Leon Rose should take a bow, Jalen Brunson should take a bow.
13:30And you heard Leon talk about the grits and the toughness, and the New York tough of this
13:36team.
13:37How about an all four wins, double-digit comebacks?
13:40That's amazing.
13:41And the Spurs are incredibly talented.
13:44The Knicks finished the playoffs going 15-1 in their last 16 games.
13:49They went 16-3 in the NBA postseason.
13:53Absolutely positively incredible.
13:55So, the Knicks and Leon Rose, they bring in Jalen Brunson, and I love the move.
14:01I did not love the contract.
14:04I thought, well, I love Brunson, loved him in Dallas, loved him in Villanova.
14:09I know he's a winner, but did you leave enough money to build the rest of the roster?
14:15Can he, do you need more players around him?
14:18And boy, I love the move.
14:20I was nitpicking the money.
14:22This was absolutely as majestic as it gets.
14:25But the key was, and it was about Brunson, but it was about World Wide West and Leon Rose
14:31finding the right surrounding ballplayers who had that same singular focus.
14:37And look, it was such a smart calculation for these guys.
14:41Because to bring in the Nova boys, we don't have to wonder aloud about how they fit with Brunson.
14:46You don't have to wonder aloud if the chemistry is going to be there.
14:50Mikael Bridges and Josh Hart, being there, won that on the collegiate level with Jalen Brunson.
14:57Josh Hart, when they made that trade.
14:59Remember, he had a reputation of being, you know, a hard worker, but a little bit of a jokester,
15:03where you think about him with the Lakers or New Orleans or when the Knicks got him from Portland.
15:08And Josh Hart, I mean, just incredible.
15:11And just a great worker and rebounder and, you know, do everything and hit big shots.
15:16Game one of these NBA Finals, you think about it, the 15 rebound game when he had three points
15:22as instrumental and so vital to the Knicks' success.
15:25And obviously there for Jalen.
15:27And then you think about Mikael Bridges.
15:29F that picks!
15:31And I love that Bridges didn't even say F.
15:33He let it fly.
15:34And, you know, I got emotional often on Saturday, Sunday, even this morning,
15:39thinking about this championship, which is so special,
15:42watching Mikael Bridges break down, where I didn't even know he had that in him, right?
15:47And he's been through it, right, where fans, media, where we're on him when the lows are low,
15:53and there were enough of those, but obviously saving his best for when it mattered the most.
15:58And, of course, it's kind of fitting, right?
16:00You know, Brunson, the leading scorer with the 45.
16:02Next two top scorers in game five were the two Nova guys.
16:06And that's pretty incredible when you consider what, you know, you look at Bridges
16:10and when you take a look at what transpired with Hart and what they were able to do.
16:14And I just think the world of Mikael Bridges.
16:17And Mikael Bridges, such an incredible 3-and-D player.
16:20And when Leon Rose made that deal, they brought him in to win.
16:24He played every game of the regular season the last two years, was great in the playoffs last year.
16:28Bridges was awesome.
16:29When you take a look at game two of these NBA finals,
16:33and you think about those Leon Rose moves and the 3-and-D guys, right?
16:39You know, the OG and an OB trade.
16:40And I was a big R.J. Barrett fan, but OG was such an integral part, obviously,
16:46of what the Knicks wanted to ultimately do.
16:49And, obviously, we talked about it last week, right, after the incredible moment on Wednesday night.
16:55The Knicks had to win to make that stick, right?
16:58The Knicks had to win to make it stick.
17:00And to ultimately be considered, in my opinion, the best moment in New York sports,
17:05they had to win in game number five.
17:08And when you look at Ananobi and what he did, I mean, every time I see this, I just get
17:16the chills.
17:16I mean, how does this even happen?
17:20It's an all-timer.
17:22It's the Knicks moment in history.
17:24It's the NBA finals moment now that the Knicks won.
17:27And it's the greatest moment.
17:29I mean, look at how he's able to leap over the trees.
17:32Guys, this is unreal.
17:34The difficulty of this shot.
17:36And then to do it in New York City, to do it at Madison Square Garden,
17:41to complete the single greatest comeback in NBA finals history, that all matters,
17:46plus the 53-year drought, you know, and that being the signature play to get us to game five
17:52and then to win the next game, that is – the debate is over with all due respect to, you
17:58know,
17:58the helmet catch or Matto Matto or Aaron Boone or Bucky Dent or Jim Lairitz or anything –
18:05or the ball going through Buckner's legs.
18:07That is the moment.
18:09And it's the Knicks, and that matters.
18:11It's New York City's team, the one team everyone can agree on.
18:14That sealed the deal.
18:16OG Ananobi, that move was everything.
18:19And how about Carl Anthony Towns?
18:21That was incredible.
18:22We're not going to talk about the stat line from game five because, frankly, it doesn't even matter.
18:27Carl Anthony Towns, and I love that trade.
18:29I love the Ananobi trade when Leon Rose made it.
18:31Not everyone did.
18:32I love the Carl Anthony Towns trade when Leon Rose made it.
18:35Not everyone did.
18:36You know, Julius Randall should always get credit and respect for helping to restore credibility.
18:41Dante DiVincenzo feels terrible for him, obviously.
18:43One of the Nova boys who can't celebrate with the other cats, Villanova Wildcats.
18:49But, you know, getting someone like Carl Anthony Towns was everything.
18:53And he's so dominant, and he's so amazing.
18:56And then starting game four in the Atlanta series, you know, the offense went through him,
19:00and it changed everything for this basketball team in terms of the fluidity, the domination.
19:06He was phenomenal in the first two games of the NBA Finals.
19:09He was drawing such strength from his late mom who passed away in 2020, COVID, COVID complications.
19:16I mean, everything about Carl Anthony Towns, who's now cemented forever, absolutely incredible.
19:22I just, I love him.
19:23I love everything he stands for.
19:25And look, I love the guy that he replaced in the starting lineup, Mitchell Robinson.
19:29Mitchell Robinson and Carl Anthony Towns, this moment, right after the buzzer went to zero,
19:35that was as great a hug and joy and jubilation as you could find.
19:41And how about the single most important rebounds in New York Knicks history?
19:46Look at the score, understand the situation, bam, that was everything.
19:52And that's vintage Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured Knick, who was part of a Knicks team that once won 17
19:59games,
20:00seemingly on the trade block forever.
20:02If the Knicks were traded years ago for Donovan Mitchell, he would have been included in that deal.
20:06We still have no idea how he broke his hand.
20:09And a related story, I don't care.
20:12Keeping Mitchell Robinson, listen, Leon Rose gets credit for that.
20:15And give Mitch credit, right?
20:17He found a home in terms of, you know, his role on the team.
20:21And I just love Mitch and who he is and what he stands for.
20:24And New Yorkers and Knicks fans will always and forever love Mitchell Robinson.
20:29And how about Landry Schammett?
20:31I mean, this was the final guy who made the roster during the course of the training camp period
20:38and then goes into the regular season.
20:40And Mike Brown loved him.
20:41And, you know, you see Landry Schammett, relatively speaking, a quiet NBA final,
20:45but what he did against Cleveland, what he did in all the different levels,
20:50the three levels in the Eastern Conference, that is as word of the champion as you could find.
20:55I mean, this guy is unbelievable and tough and clutch and ready and his defense
20:59and those monster threes and the comeback in game one against Cleveland.
21:03I mean, just absolutely amazing.
21:06And listen, you got to give credit to my dog, Mike Brown,
21:10who was hired to, relatively speaking, minimal fanfare after the controversial firing of Tom Thibodeau
21:16after last season's conference finals run.
21:20Who, who, who, who, who let the dogs out?
21:23Who, who, who, who, who, who let the dogs out?
21:27Who, who, who, who, who?
21:29We got some dogs on this team, baby.
21:34New York City is full of dogs and we came to get it.
21:39Who let the dogs out?
21:41Who, who, who?
21:42Who let the dogs out?
21:44Who, who, who?
21:46I mean, Chalamet lost it right there.
21:50Literally.
21:51I mean, Timmy's all of us.
21:53We're all sitting on the couch.
21:55We're watching it.
21:56You know, the tears are flowing.
21:59There's emotions.
22:00My son, Theo, couldn't stop cracking up
22:03when Mike Brown is doing the Who Let the Dogs Out.
22:05Then, you know, he flies into Westchester Airport
22:07and he does the same thing, you know, when he lands.
22:10I mean, the whole thing.
22:11Mike Brown, listen, Mike Brown let the dogs out.
22:15And this goes back to, obviously, Mike Brown getting the job.
22:18And, you know, there were similarities, I thought,
22:22with Buck Showalter and Joe Torre and Tom Thibodeau
22:27and what transpired with Mike Brown.
22:30And that was the hope.
22:31And I thought the Knicks would make the NBA Finals
22:33before the season started.
22:34I was a big Mike Brown fan.
22:36I thought he got screwed in Sacramento.
22:38But this outkicked all my expectations.
22:41And Mike Brown has such a great feel.
22:43And that's what always impressed me.
22:45We go back to the regular season, establishing the bench,
22:48using Tyler Kolick, doing things that Tom Thibodeau would never do,
22:52playing the bench at every single level, regular season, postseason,
22:57a feel for the moment.
22:59Go back to Game 2 of the NBA Finals,
23:02where at the end of the third quarter,
23:04the pivotal moment of that game,
23:06where the Knicks really turned the tide.
23:08He had one starter in the game.
23:10It was Mikel Bridges with four reserves.
23:12Then go to Game 4 of the NBA Finals,
23:16where he had four starters in.
23:18The only starter who's out at the end of the game is Mikel Bridges.
23:21And he put in Alvarado, who was unbelievable,
23:25off the bench for Mike Brown.
23:27And give Mike Brown credit.
23:29He knew when to use Jordan Clarkson.
23:31He knew when to use Hock Portie.
23:33He used different guys.
23:35He wasn't stubborn going from game to game.
23:38And I love Tom Thibodeau.
23:40And I went nuts when Tom Thibodeau got fired.
23:42And I thought, you know,
23:44the wheels were going to absolutely fall off.
23:46And I still think Tom Thibodeau deserves a lot of credit
23:50for the Knicks' toughness and accountability
23:52and getting to this point.
23:55I was wrong.
23:56The Knicks were never going to win with Tom Thibodeau.
23:59And just like as it turned out,
24:00the Yankees were never going to win with Buck Showalter
24:03and Joe Torrey took him to a different level.
24:06And Mike Brown, right guy, right demeanor.
24:08You know, had everyone sign that contract in July
24:11about being all in.
24:13And listen, James Dolan deserves credit.
24:16And I've been a James Dolan critic,
24:19how could you not be,
24:21for the aforementioned pre-Leon Rose
24:23and pre-Jalen Brunson years
24:25where there were sheer nonsense
24:27and interference and buffoonery.
24:29And you remember Dolan getting in the middle
24:31of the Donnie Walsh-Carmelo deal.
24:34I mean, the stories are all legit.
24:36The results are the results.
24:37Phil Jackson, we could go through it.
24:38But this picture,
24:40and you know James Dolan wants to win.
24:42He just didn't, for all those years, know how.
24:45He let Leon Rose do his thing.
24:47And man,
24:49it's redemption for Mike Brown.
24:51It's redemption for James Dolan.
24:53And I gotta give Leon Rose and Dolan credit
24:56because it was not popular when they fired Tom Thibodeau.
25:00They don't, and I was wrong on this,
25:02they don't win this championship with Tom Thibodeau.
25:04Mike Brown, right guy, right time.
25:06His X's and O's.
25:07His ability to change,
25:10I mean, going back to the whole Game 3 to Game 4
25:12of the Atlanta series, down 2-1,
25:15where he had the offense go through Carl Anthony Towns.
25:18You know, his lineups, his substitutions,
25:21keeping guys ready,
25:22keeping the joy with the toughness,
25:25which is not easy,
25:26the likability, the chemistry.
25:28I guess Mike Brown answers his own question.
25:31It was Mike Brown who let the dogs out.
25:34Unbelievable.
25:35As for the San Antonio Spurs,
25:38their season ends in bitter disappointment
25:39after coming into the series favored.
25:41And frankly, have an opportunity to win every single game.
25:45This series was not far from the Spurs winning in five
25:49or even sweeping.
25:51I think it doesn't compare to anything before.
25:53This is the biggest lesson of my life,
25:57the biggest learning moment.
25:58I can't tell exactly what the lesson is,
26:00but we're learning from that for sure.
26:04I'm learning more than any other time in my life before.
26:08We weren't ready to win an NBA championship.
26:10The better team won.
26:12We did a lot of good things,
26:13and we didn't finish the job.
26:15And that's what it is.
26:18The San Antonio Spurs led the NBA Finals
26:22for 72% of the minutes played and lost in five.
26:27If I'm a fan of the San Antonio Spurs,
26:30I am absolutely disgusted.
26:32While giving the Knicks all the credit in the world,
26:35and it all starts with the Knicks,
26:36and this act from Victor Wambanyama,
26:39walking off the floor without shaking hands,
26:41you know what that is?
26:44Loser behavior from a loser.
26:47That's what we witnessed from Victor Wambanyama
26:49and the San Antonio Spurs.
26:51Think about it.
26:53Confetti falls.
26:55What does Jalen Brunson do?
26:57Looks for Mitch Johnson.
26:59That's what the face of the NBA does.
27:01That's what the epitome of class does.
27:03That's what winners do.
27:05Losers walk off and don't shake hands.
27:08Don't congratulate the opposition.
27:10I thought the San Antonio Spurs embarrassed themselves in this series.
27:15They were awful when it mattered the most,
27:18completely unlikable, poorly coached.
27:22Victor Wambanyama was as dirty as it gets.
27:25We talked about him during the course of the regular season,
27:28the postseason, as an alien, as a freak,
27:31as the face of the NBA.
27:34He's not even close to being the face of the NBA.
27:38His dirty play was awful.
27:40The way that he elbowed, obviously, in the second round, Nas Reed.
27:44I mean, look at this.
27:45Oh, I mean, it's disgusting.
27:47And he was getting away with on-court murder during the NBA finals.
27:52What happened with Jalen Brunson throughout the course of this series
27:55was just awful.
27:57Getting away with whatever he wanted, right?
28:00I mean, dirty play, nonsense, you know, what he did with Brunson,
28:04what he did with Katz.
28:06I mean, this is a dirty ball player.
28:08The NBA should suspend him.
28:10Just take a look at the flagrant that wasn't called for Game 5.
28:13He should suspend him for Game 1 of the regular season coming up.
28:17I mean, hey, he's not going to play in Game 6
28:19because he's a losing player and he didn't make it.
28:21Seven points in a fourth quarter,
28:24averaging that in the fourth quarter in the five games.
28:27I mean, just look at this.
28:29Look at this.
28:29These numbers are pathetic.
28:31These numbers are embarrassing.
28:33I mean, face of the league, he's making funny faces,
28:36and he's hiding his face because he's watching what I'm watching,
28:39his own highlights.
28:41I honestly have just, I've lost a lot of respect for Victor Wimbanyama.
28:45I'm sorry.
28:46He's a losing ball player,
28:48and he now officially has something to prove.
28:51Is it fair to blame him?
28:53Sure.
28:53I'm not writing him off for his career.
28:56I want to make sure that I'm crystal clear on that.
28:58But Victor Wimbanyama had a golden opportunity to win a championship,
29:03and he showed classless play, immaturity, and complete and utter nonsense.
29:08And even with this, and he had to know that retribution was coming for,
29:11you know, getting away with just chucking the captain
29:14and throwing Brunson away,
29:16and then he's pointing at his noggin.
29:18You know, you could say in the game, obviously,
29:20where the Knicks had the greatest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals,
29:23this point was the turning point.
29:26Go chronicle everything in the rest of the series from that moment on.
29:32Victor Wimbanyama acting like a petulant child changed everything.
29:37And my personal favorite thing from Brunson,
29:40when you look at what transpired on Saturday night
29:44when he was able to take it to Wemby with that dribble drive,
29:47I just, I loved it.
29:48By the way, the MVP for the Knicks was Jalen Brunson.
29:51You know, I didn't see the final votes,
29:53but I have to imagine De'Aaron Fox was number two on the list.
29:56De'Aaron Fox, like all the Knicks,
29:59he will never have to buy a drink in New York ever again.
30:02I mean, I think during the first portion of the show tonight,
30:05Fox missed five more shots.
30:07His play at the end of game four, his stupidity,
30:10his foolishness was mind-numbing.
30:12He missed shot after shot after shot,
30:14turnover after turnover after turnover,
30:16and this was a wretched, gutless, pathetic performance
30:20all the way around from De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wemby-Nyama
30:24and the San Antonio Spurs.
30:25Look, Stephon Castle, who I love,
30:27he didn't play well in game five.
30:29But the problem is, when you look at it here,
30:32when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs,
30:35you know, everyone keeps saying, well, they'll be back.
30:38So, which team am I taking in the West for the next five years?
30:42Spurs or the Thunder?
30:43It's OKC.
30:44I really think, and everyone's, you know, all in on,
30:49well, it's going to be Wemby's time to shine.
30:51We'll get them next year.
30:52They're the current favorites in Vegas.
30:55Listen, everyone was knocking the Knicks,
30:57which was amateur hour,
30:58for all that took advantage of the week east.
31:00You know, the Spurs, no one talked about the fact
31:02that they beat OKC when they didn't have their second-best player
31:06and J-Dub's backup, Mitchell, was out as well.
31:11So, of course, I favor the OKC Thunder.
31:14Now, that obviously means Chet Holmgren needs to play better.
31:17Obviously, they need to be healthy.
31:19I still think that Oklahoma City will enter next year
31:23as the, and we'll see what happens.
31:26We have plenty of time this week to get into it.
31:28Trades, Giannis, LeBron, all of it.
31:31But the Thunder are more equipped and more mentally tough
31:34and have more big-game experience than San Antonio.
31:38And, look, this Dylan Harper's unbelievable.
31:41Castle's fantastic.
31:42Wemby has a lot of growing up to do.
31:44And, yeah, he won a Game 6, and he won a Game 7 in OKC.
31:48In terms of trust, I trust Shane Gillis Alexander more.
31:53I trust the coaching staff and the general manager
31:58when it comes to the Thunder versus Mitch Johnson,
32:02who couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag.
32:04It's as simple as that.
32:06Spurs are going to have a golden opportunity with their youth
32:08to run it back, obviously.
32:10But I'm telling you right now, I would take the Thunder
32:14over the Spurs over the next five years in the Western Conference.
32:19Knicks were not the only team to capture a title this weekend.
32:2224 hours after the Knicks' triumph, we saw the Carolina Hurricanes
32:26hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for the first time since 2006,
32:30concluding a very dominant run,
32:32very similar to the one that the Knicks just went on.
32:36In fact, both teams, look at this,
32:39finished the postseason with a 16-3 record.
32:43That is uncanny.
32:45How about Rod Brendamore, who captained the team in 2006
32:49and coached them this year?
32:51Just an unbelievable full-circle moment.
32:54You know, excellent stuff by the bus in between the pipes,
32:57the backup goalie that rode the bus to a championship.
33:00That was tremendous.
33:02Look, I almost feel like in so many ways, you know,
33:05the Hurricanes and their moment was kind of superseded in Trump
33:09by everyone still fired up here with regards to, you know,
33:13everything that happened with the Knicks.
33:14But congrats to the Carolina Hurricanes,
33:17a worthy champion in the NHL.
33:21You heard Mike Breen's championship call to start the show.
33:24Here's what it sounded like in my house.
33:29Oh, my God!
33:32Oh, my God!
33:35Oh!
33:39Oh!
33:50I can't believe this is happening!
33:53That was fucking good.
33:54They just came out.
33:54Oh!
33:55They kissed him!
33:56Oh!
33:57This is too scary.
33:58I got him.
33:59Suck it, Wemby!
34:03Video cred and suck it, Wemby cred to my wife, Katie.
34:07I mean, that's pretty great.
34:09And, listen, there are so many things about that video and about that moment
34:14that, honestly, I know it's relatable to so many people who love the Knicks
34:20and were waiting for so long.
34:22First of all, that's the first championship that I was able to celebrate with my wife and my kids, right?
34:29That was amazing.
34:31We're Yankees fans in the house, and, you know, the Yankees won their last World Series in 2009.
34:37My oldest, Jolie, she was one.
34:40So that doesn't count in terms of a family celebration.
34:44Mike Breen nailed it in terms of his final call, saying it was okay to cry on so many different
34:52levels.
34:52And Breen, obviously, has been a Knicks fan forever.
34:56He's 65, first time that both of his jobs coincided in terms of what he does for ABC, ESPN, calling
35:04the finals,
35:05and he's the voice of the Knicks, has never called the Knicks in the finals, obviously,
35:10since he's been calling, you know, the championship round and all the big games that matter for ESPN, ABC.
35:16So, listen, Breen was perfect.
35:18The scene was perfect.
35:20And there were a lot of tears.
35:22I mean, first one I get to celebrate with Theo.
35:25And the juxtaposition on this, and, again, you can't script it,
35:30I can't believe that I just saw my team win, most meaningful championship of my lifetime.
35:36Look at Theo's arms here.
35:38And I posted this late on Sunday because I didn't even realize that Katie was videotaping this.
35:44And he's just hanging on for dear life, squeezing his dad.
35:49And then as he's doing that, Rick Brunson kisses Jalen.
35:54And I'm thinking of my dad, who passed away in July unexpectedly.
35:59And the last conversation we had, sports-wise, was about Jalen Brunson and Mike Brown and the Knicks.
36:07So, and I know, and that's the beauty of what I do for a living.
36:11I read all your comments on the YouTube page and on Instagram and on X and this morning on my
36:18Sirius XM radio show.
36:20And I always talk about this.
36:21My favorite days hosting a national radio show, it's after championships because they matter.
36:28And forever, my favorite show, and I love all the shows after champions are crowned because they mean so much
36:34to so many people.
36:35And it's why you love sports forever, it was the Cubs when they reversed the curse.
36:39It was always the Cubs until today.
36:44And to listen to grown men and grown women cry because their mom or their dad not around to see
36:53this.
36:53And, or, on the opposite side, the emotion of being able to celebrate with their family and friends.
37:01And that father-son moment that literally was part of it for the Knicks and made the whole thing so
37:08special.
37:08And, again, was relatable.
37:10And it added to the likability.
37:13You know, you think about everything that Carl Anthony Towns is going through and has been going through with the
37:18passing of his mom.
37:19And the strength that he has gained through it.
37:22And then that moment, and I'm just, I didn't tell my wife, hey, let's record this.
37:28She recorded it.
37:29And it was just meaningful in the house.
37:31In fact, she showed me the video yesterday of when I was standing.
37:35I didn't even know she took the video when O.J. Ananobi and Mikkel Bridges missed those free throws at
37:41the end.
37:41But the whole thing is just so incredible because we're talking about 53 years, you know, to listen to.
37:49And I saw my mother yesterday.
37:51You know, she remembers the rosters of, you know, the 1970, 1973 Knicks, you know, going to games with my
37:59dad.
38:00I mean, it's, those teams were revered, absolutely revered.
38:04And as I'm watching that and I'm thinking about, you know, the 94 Knicks and, you know, the 99 Knicks
38:11and Charles Smith and Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller and the Miami Heat and all those moments.
38:18And it all just comes together.
38:22That, that was beautiful.
38:24And I know that so many people had the exact same experience.
38:27The most meaningful championship ever.
38:30The Knicks are just a special team.
38:33And, again, you know, sometimes, and I'm a Yankee fan, right?
38:37Not, not every player on your team is easy to root for.
38:43It's just how it works.
38:44As Jerry Seinfeld once said, you root for the laundry, root for the uniform.
38:48That's the way it goes, right?
38:50And in sports, you just have to deal with it because you want your team to win.
38:54Every single player on this Knicks team was likable, team-oriented, lovable,
39:01understood that there were generations of Knicks fans who missed that moment, missed the ability to see a championship with
39:11their mom or their dad or their kids.
39:14Because we're talking about 53 years in between championships.
39:20That was as sweet a moment as I've ever had on a personal, professional level.
39:27Watching that with my kids every single moment, every single game.
39:32That hug during the championship, watching Rick Brunson at the same time kiss Jalen.
39:40Damn, damn, I say it all the time, you gotta love sports.
39:44That's the show.
39:45If you missed any portion of the show, just do what I do and re-watch the show over and
39:50over and over again
39:52on the New York Post Sports YouTube page and the California Post Sports YouTube page.
39:56Search Shine Time.
39:58See you tomorrow on Shine Time.
39:59See you tomorrow on Shine Time.
40:00See you tomorrow on Shine Time.
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