Rick Brunson explains what makes the 2026 NBA champion Knicks so special

2 hours ago 3

It's been less than a week since the New York Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA championship, and the team, its fans, and the city of New York are still experiencing ultimate bliss.

When you snap a championship drought of 53 years, the members of the roster will each go down in history in one way or another, but this Knicks team in particular has captured the hearts of the city in a way that we may not see for a long time.

What was it about this year's iteration of the Knicks that made them so special? And how were they able to pull off what fans felt was impossible to do for so long?

Rick Brunson says 2026 Knicks uplifted one another

Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, father of Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, told SiriusXM's Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine just what it was that made this Knicks team so incredible.

"All year, our team was able to lift each other. If it wasn’t Jalen’s night, it would be KAT’s night; if it wasn’t KAT’s night, it would be Jalen, or OG, or Mikal," Brunson told the hosts of The Starting Lineup.

As easy as it is for the casual fan to point to Brunson's heroics in the fourth quarter of each game of the NBA Finals, it's impossible to underestimate the contributions of the Knicks, as Rick points out.

Karl-Anthony Towns, despite taking fewer shots and scoring less, morphed into an offensive hub at center and took the Knicks' offense to another level.

OG Anunoby morphed into Kawhi Leonard for New York's playoff run, combining lockdown defense with elite shotmaking.

What made the Knicks so special was their complete team makeup and how each piece was able to complement the others throughout four playoff series.