‘Absolutely Incredible,’ ‘Unreal’ — Knicks’ First NBA Championship Since 1973 Draws Strong Reactions From NFL Players

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New York can celebrate as the Knicks are NBA champions. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, 94-90, to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time since 1973.

The NFL world had plenty of thoughts about the Knicks’ incredible championship run.

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NFL World Reacts to Knicks’ NBA Title

“The New York Knicks are NBA CHAMPIONS for the first time in 53 years,” wrote former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III.

It has been a long road for the Knicks: in 2019, the team won only 21 games, and the year prior, they won 17. The fact that they were able to turn things around so quickly was absolutely astonishing.

The Knicks are a great team, but many NFL players pointed out just how incredible Jalen Brunson was for New York. Brunson was named the Finals MVP after he capped off a dominant postseason with a 45-point performance in Game 5.

“Brunson, absolutely incredible. One of the most clutch performances of all time,” former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky wrote.

Orlovsky also shared an “awesome moment” showing Brunson and his father Rick hugging after they won the championship. Rick played in the NBA and is an assistant head coach for the Knicks, so both father and son earned a ring.

“Congratulations Brunson.. true underdog story,” wrote Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant.

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Speaking of Dallas, Brunson was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft after winning two NCAA championships at Villanova.

Brunson was solid with the Mavs, but he wasn’t the team’s No. 1 option thanks to Luka Dončić. He didn’t truly break out until the 2021-22 season and Dallas ultimately let him walk in free agency. During his first year with the Knicks, Brunson averaged 24.0 points, topping his previous career-high of 16.3 PPG.

The support for Brunson continued as former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason tweeted out “S U P E R S T A R!!!” alongside a photo of Brunson.

“Winning a title in NY hits different,” wrote Super Bowl champion Will Blackmon.

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The last time that a New York sports team won a championship prior to this was on February 5th, 2012, as the New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 46. (The New York Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009).

Las Vegas Raiders superstar Maxx Crosby took to X to say, “WOW. True TEAM Led By A Killer In Brunson. Unreal.”

The Knicks have ended their championship drought, so could we see a New York team follow suit in the NFL and hoist the Lombardi Trophy? The Big Apple’s most likely contender in 2026 is the Buffalo Bills. Ever since 2020, the Bills have at least advanced to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs as Josh Allen has grown into one of the league’s best passers, ranking No. 3 last year in PFN’s QB Impact metric.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants are hoping to usher in a new winning era led by head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Jaxson Dart, while the New York Jets are at the start of a rebuild.

Regardless, New York is a basketball town, so New Yorkers are ecstatic and have plenty to celebrate with the long-suffering Knicks on top of the basketball world.

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