For the New York Knicks, the NBA Cup is nice.
The $530,933 each player pockets will fatten bank accounts. The franchise that hasn’t won an NBA championship in 52 years got to outlast all other 29 teams for a trophy. They got, as center Karl-Anthony Towns told reporters after the game, the chance to wear “this dope-ass shirt on with the Knicks saying we’re champions.”
But if this is the lone hardware the Knicks end up with at season’s end, it won’t be nearly enough.
New York crashed the glass, outhustled San Antonio and sprinted past the upstart Spurs, 124-113, to claim the 2025 NBA Cup title on Tuesday, Dec. 16, but the Knicks are built for more.
They should contend in the Eastern Conference and beyond, and their offseason move to fire former coach Tom Thibodeaux — after New York reached its first conference finals in 25 seasons — indicated that there is no other outcome to be tolerated from this build other than an NBA Finals trophy.
“Of course, if you win the Cup, you feel like you have to validate why we got here and got ourselves in this position to win,” Towns said.
The Knicks overcame an 11-point deficit and a slow shooting night from star point guard Jalen Brunson. They launched a 15-3 run to start the fourth quarter and limited Spurs star phenom Victor Wembanyama to just 2 points on 0-of-4 shooting in the final period — New York entered down by five. The Knicks didn’t let Wembanyama, all 7-foot-5 of him, record a single rebound in the fourth.
The irony in all this is that this was a game that counted, but didn’t, really.
Yes, the Knicks will claim this title, but all statistics recorded in the game won’t count toward season totals. It’s fairly representative of the state of the Knicks: this is an accomplishment to be cherished and celebrated, but it’s the one that has eluded New York that actually counts.
“I’m very excited,” Brunson told reporters after the game. “It was a goal of ours that we get to check off. It’s an important stepping stone for us. We can still learn from this game and get better as well. I’m very thankful for the opportunity that we presented ourselves … we found a way to win.”
The Knicks are currently 18-7, which ranks second in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Established teams from previous seasons like the Celtics (Jayson Tatum) and Pacers (Tyrese Haliburton) are facing significant injuries to star players. Teams like the Cavaliers and Bucks have sputtered to start the season.
The Pistons (21-5) and Magic (15-11) appear to be the top threats.
But the Knicks could also be at an inflection point, with rumors swirling about the future of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo reportedly prefers the Knicks as a destination, and his addition would bolster championship aspirations.
Regardless, this roster is balanced and complete. Towns can stretch the floor with his range. Brunson is a consistent threat to score. OG Anunoby, who scored a game-high 28 points on Tuesday night, is also a defensive stopper — and one who switched onto shifty Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox late in Tuesday’s game.
“A game like this, an environment like this, you don’t really see around the NBA too often,” Brunson said. “We’ve got to take advantage of the experience that we got here.”
The Knicks will need more from their bench down the stretch. Backup guard Tyler Kolek provided massive minutes and recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the victory.
These are valuable experiences for young players like Kolek; while the NBA Cup doesn’t carry the same stakes as the NBA playoffs, it’s a heightened environment, nonetheless.
It’s now incumbent on coach Mike Brown and the rest of the staff to use this NBA Cup championship as a catalyst to spark further development.
“We going to celebrate this one tonight,” Towns said. “We’re going to hold this Cup championship dear to our heart, but now it’s time to work on the second one.”
He didn’t say it by name, but there was no doubt which title Towns was talking about.