00:14Following a summer of orange and blue skies, New York City had been waiting a long time for the
00:19New York Knicks to be world champions. On June 13th, 2026, that wait ended.
00:30Off the mark, Ananobi the rebound. It's over. It's over. Nick Vance, this is not a dream. Your long, long
00:37wait has ended. Go ahead and cry. After 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA champions once again.
00:46I felt vindicated. Vindication. I was elated. You know, I broke down and cried the last night. I wish I
00:54could have won here at home.
00:56And I, you know, I've been through a thick and thin all through the years. And it keeps saying, oh,
01:03wait until next year. Wait until next year. Finally, this is our year.
01:08Chris Garrett has been a Knicks fan since 1972. And like other fans outside Madison Square Garden who feel 2026
01:15is their year, they had to be at the first game of the season.
01:19I was stuck in Portugal for the finals and I couldn't go to the finals game. So I said, I'm
01:23not missing an opening night when the banner goes up.
01:25This is the first time in 53 years a new band's being raised. Not just one, but two, but hopefully
01:30three for the cup. But savor this. Don't take this era of Knicks basketball for granted.
01:35Because you never know when you're going to see him back to this point. So enjoy it, savor it, and
01:42just like be grateful that you're witnessing seeing this Knicks team winning the championship.
01:48I'm going to start crying again. I'm going to, I'll be so elated. I'm going to, I'm going to cry.
01:54I'm going to, you know, yeah, like I said, I'll cry tears of joy.
01:59Finally see that banner. I waited all those years for that banner to go up. Finally.
02:041970 and 1973 for more than half a century. Those were the only two championships that Knicks fans could celebrate
02:12on opening night.
02:13That all changes the players. They're going to get their rings and a third banner will go up right there.
02:19And after that banner goes up, Knicks fans will have memories for years to come.
02:4319,812 Knicks fans packed the garden to pay homage to their heroes. And the love was felt after the
02:492026 championship banner had been raised to the rafters.
02:53I thought it lived up to all the hype. The ring was amazing. The crowd was amazing. The reception was
02:59well deserved. I thought the, the videos were great.
03:02I mean, the hype was so high. I did think we were going to be able to, to, to be
03:07able to meet the energy, but we did. And I'm so glad I'm here, man. It was so well worth
03:12it.
03:12Tonight was the night I dreamed about my whole life besides winning the championship, but just seeing that banner go
03:19up, seeing the players get their rings.
03:21I had tears in my eyes throughout the whole ceremony. I don't even care about the game right now. I'm
03:25just so on cloud nine.
03:28And it wasn't just the fans. The players knew this night, despite the Knicks dropping their home opener, was a
03:34memorable one in New York sports history.
03:37It was, it was really special to have that moment here again at New York after 53 years and to
03:42have a new banner up is a, it's a really cool feeling to be that team that was able to
03:46do it.
03:46Now that the opening night game following the Knicks first title in 53 years is over, there's a part that's
03:51going to stay.
03:52And it's this right here, a banner alongside 70 and 73. And with that new banner were fans who make
03:59new memories when they watched it rise reporting from Madison square garden for New York got game.
04:04I'm Dexter Henry.
