It has been a long wait for the New York Knicks. They went through various renditions, from Carmelo Anthony leading the pack to Kristaps Porzingis offering some hope. However, fans didn’t feel the same electricity while watching the current Knicks. It’s a team built on sacrifice, started by Jalen Brunson leaving money on the table. And they’ve grown in the perfect direction, without any egos and with the sole objective of winning with Mike Brown’s philosophies. Over their last eight games, the Knicks have only needed a moment in games to shred their opponents.

The disrespect was loud when New York was the laughing stock of the league. The apologies are just as loud now. Shaquille O’Neal was the first to apologise to the infamous celebrity row at MSG. “They are so good. I owe the whole state and all five girls of New York an apology. So, I want to apologize. Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Al Palagonia, all the superstars that were sitting there… They have it,” the Big Diesel said on the Rich Eisen Show. 

A headline from The New York Times summed up the weight of the moment perfectly. The last time the Knicks had a Finals run, Google was in its infancy, the iPhone had not been released, the Fast and Furious franchise had not hit the screens, and only three Harry Potter books had been out.

Besides, Shaq knows about the New York expectations. Their fans wholeheartedly believe it’s their championship to win each year. They show out with that same passion. But this team seems much different than any group before. The four-time NBA champion compared them to the 2004 Detroit Pistons side that ended the Lakers’ Kobe-Shaq era without having as decorated a roster.

“They were a collective group, and they just played together, and they fought hard. They never gave up. And when I look at this Knicks team, it reminds me so much of that team,” Shaquille O’Neal added.

The team’s construction plays a huge role. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges won a national championship together with Villanova. Their chemistry has naturally leaked into the entire roster. “We’re focused on winning. And I think everyone is willing to sacrifice their own personal agendas or performance for the betterment of the team. And when you have a group of guys that do that, you know, sky’s the limit,” Josh Hart said after securing a place in the NBA Finals.

The Knicks’ brotherhood shapes their dominant run

It’s a true brotherhood in the city of New York. This doesn’t just extend to the players selflessly sacrificing and playing for each other. That creates beauty on the court. Off it, there’s a mob of fans who unite by just wearing the same jersey. It’s like a celebration every time the Knicks play. Hart said everywhere they go, it feels like Madison Square Garden after winning the Eastern Conference. Such camaraderie that is literally crossing from city to city has sparked a window of dominance.

The ECF was supposed to be the hardest series for the Knicks. The Cavaliers had the star tandem: Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, and Evan Mobley to match against their glittering core. In Game 1, the Cavs relinquished a 22-point lead in the final seven minutes. Things were never the same after that. Over four games, the Knicks won by an average of almost 20 points.

They haven’t lost in the past eight games, including four on the road. Each time they travelled away from New York, the fans brought the city’s illuminating and uncontrollable energy over to them. The result was utter dominance, on the court and in the away arenas.

Mike Brown, the Knicks’ head coach in his first season, also deserves a lot of credit. The former COTY has fully transformed the Knicks’ offense, one that thrives on sharing the ball as opposed to the starting five playing most of the minutes. The entire rotation has unlimited confidence because of their involvement. Landry Shamet shot 11-12 from three for the entire four-game series against the Cavaliers. Furthermore, the Knicks are averaging 123.8 points over their last ten games. Brown has built a connective system that, even with Brunson’s defensive flaws, is recording a defensive rating of 105.1 with him on the floor.

The Knicks have figured it out. Unlike last season, they aren’t relying on Brunson and KAT to go ballistic. It could be anyone, at any time.