Patrick Ewing Delivers Emotional Response to Knicks Championship Win

The 2026 New York Knicks secured the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 with a 4-1 series victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

The last time the Knicks made an appearance in the NBA Finals was 1999 - another matchup against the Spurs.

The Knicks played that entire 1999 series without their superstar center Patrick Ewing, who suffered a partially-torn Achilles during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. New York ultimately lost the championship series 1-4, ending what would be Ewing’s final chance at securing a championship ring.

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Ewing was in San Antonio for the Knicks’ title-clinching Game 5 victory over the Spurs on Saturday night. After the win, he delivered an emotional message about what this win means to him.

“The last time we were here in 1999, I had tears of sorrow. Today, I have tears of joy,” Ewing said. “The last time we were here, Tim [Duncan] and David [Robinson] were having a party against us, but tonight it’s ours.”

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The Knicks were led to victory by yet another stunning performance from Jalen Brunson, who scored a series-high 45 points in the closeout game. The All-Star point guard averaged 32.6 points per game in the championship series, more than enough to secure Finals MVP honors.

“The guys did what they needed to do. Everybody did their part,” Ewing added. “Jalen was the captain to take us over the top.”

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 12:15 PM.