53 years later, New York Knicks is once again NBA Champs

SAN ANTONIO: Knowing New York had waited 53 years to see the Knicks hoist the NBA championship trophy, owner James Dolan didn't even wait to be handed the 30-pound gold-plated prize.

He grabbed it and lifted it skyward with a yell.

"I want to say something to New York," Dolan shouted. "Hey New York! I'm sorry it took so long! But here we are, and hopefully it won't take that long again!"

The New York Knicks are champions of the NBA for the first time since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games for this title. The clincher came Saturday night in a 94-90 victory, the Knicks' fourth comeback win of the series.

Some will say it's the first "major" professional sports championship for New York in more than 14 years; that would be true when counting only Major League Baseball, the NFL, the NHL and the NBA, though it would be wrong to ignore the New York Liberty's run to the 2024 WNBA title and New York City FC winning the MLS Cup in 2021.

But as far as the teams that have been part of the city's fabric for generations and generations, yes, this 14-year drought is finally over.

The New York Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012, capping the 2011 season.

The Yankees - the most decorated team in U.S. major pro sports history - haven't won a World Series since 2009. The New York Jets haven't won a Super Bowl since 1969.

The Knicks - who won 13 consecutive games at one point in this playoff run and rallied from 29 points down to win Game 4 of the finals at MSG - are the toast of the town.

"Of course I've never seen anything like it, because it'd never happened before," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said of the Game 4 comeback in an interview on NBA TV on Saturday.

"But it's been amazing." The Amazin' Knicks, indeed. A third title, finally.