NBA: Knicks' 'magical' return to Finals has been a long time coming for New York

Long-suffering New York Knicks fans woke up on Tuesday still buzzing from a night of celebration after their basketball team advanced to an NBA Finals that they will enter as underdogs, regardless of who they face in their bid to end a 53-year title drought.

A sea of blue and orange flooded New York City streets well into the night on Monday after the Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Many of the fans carried brooms, which they used to playfully sweep sidewalks and wave in the air during the celebrations. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani poked fun at the Cavaliers on X, writing, "@NYCSanitation I'd like to report a sweep."

"It's a magical thing, it's a historic thing," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said after scoring a team-high 19 points in the clinching game in Cleveland. "It's something New York has been dying for, for a long, long time."

"But for us as players, we understand that the job's not done."

FROM NBA LAUGHINGSTOCK TO CONTENDER

After years of struggle, the NBA's third most valuable franchise began to turn things around with the arrival of team President Leon Rose, who came on board in March 2020 just as the team was headed toward a seventh consecutive season out of the playoffs.

Rose helped transform the Knicks from a laughingstock into a championship contender. They have only missed the postseason once in the last six seasons and reached the penultimate round of the 2025 playoffs, where they lost in six games to the Indiana Pacers.

Jalen Brunson, who was named this year's Eastern Conference Finals MVP, has led the way since signing with the Knicks four years ago. The team has built around the point guard, bringing in players such as six-time All-Star Towns.

“Growing up in the (New York) area, I feel like the word ‘hope’ has been gone from the New York Knicks name for a long time," said Towns. "To be part of this team that revives hope is something special."

The Knicks playing for the championship sets up an intriguing storyline for the best-of-seven-game NBA Finals.

They have not won a title since 1973, and this will be just their third appearance in the Finals since then, having lost in 1994 and 1999.

STAR-STUDDED CELEBRITY FAN BASE

Despite riding an 11-game winning streak in these playoffs, the Knicks are underdogs heading into a series where they will face either NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, or a San Antonio Spurs team led by French standout Victor Wembanyama.

Their appearance will attract the usual star-studded cast of celebrity fans to the Finals.

Filmmaker and lifelong Knicks fan Spike Lee, sporting orange specs, parked himself on the floor to film the team being presented with the Eastern Conference championship trophy on Monday.

Four-time Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet celebrated with the players and fellow actor Ben Stiller was also in attendance. Comedian Tracy Morgan was overcome with emotion while soaking in the win courtside.

From everyday people to Hollywood A-listers, the Knicks will have the support of a city behind them as they try to end their five-decade title drought.

-Reporting by Nicole Fernandes in TorontoEditing by Rod Nickel/Reuters