The 2026 NBA Finals had been deja vu for everyone involved. The last time the reigning NBA Champions were in the Finals was in 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs, who just happened to have a generational big man in Tim Duncan going into his first title game. The series also ended 4-1. The only difference was that the Spurs got the better of the Knicks. It was one of those ‘what if’ moments for many.

The Knicks became the first No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, but they lost their franchise cornerstone — Patrick Ewing — to a partially torn Achilles tendon during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers. Ewing missed the entire Finals, while fellow star Larry Johnson played through a significant knee injury. Twenty-seven years later, the Knicks got their revenge. And Ewing didn’t forget.

“It has been a long time coming,” Patrick Ewing said after the game via Hector Ledesma of ClutchPoints. “The last time we were here in ’99, I had tears of sorrow. Today I have tears of joy. It’s a dream come true.

“We have had this goal. Myself as a player, myself as part of the organization, we’ve had the dream of getting to this point and winning the championship, and we finally achieved it. The last time we were here, Tim (Duncan) and David (Robinson) were having a party against us, but tonight it’s ours.”

Back in 1999, without Patrick Ewing, New York relied on Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, and Marcus Camby, but they ran into San Antonio’s dominant Twin Towers combination of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. The Spurs won that series 4-1, capturing the first championship in franchise history. Duncan averaged 27.4 points and 14 rebounds in the Finals and was named Finals MVP.

Unfortunately, fans never got the full Ewing-Duncan-Robinson showdown because Ewing was injured before the Finals began. That was a major factor because New York’s biggest weakness became interior size.

Had Ewing been healthy, he would have been tasked with battling Robinson in the paint while also trying to slow Duncan’s emerging dominance. Many observers at the time felt the Knicks’ chances would have improved significantly with Ewing available, though the Spurs’ Twin Towers still would have been favored.

The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, winning their first championship since 1973. The clinching Game 5 ended 94-90, with Jalen Brunson exploding for 45 points and earning Finals MVP honors.

Patrick Ewing Still Praises Spurs Center Victor Wembanyama

Despite knowing that he was the biggest threat to their title campaign, Patrick Ewing spoke highly of Spurs center and 2026 unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, Victor Wembanyama, after the win.

“I love him. I love him. I think he’s special. All the things that I’ve seen, I think he is special. I think he’s going to have a tremendous career.”

Wembanyama’s first NBA Finals was a mixture of superstar production, dominant stretches, and painful late-game lessons as the Spurs fell 4-1 to the Knicks. He put up elite statistics throughout the series, averaging 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game, while shooting 42.3% shooting from the field and 27.3% from 3-point range through five games.

The moment that will likely follow Wembanyama all summer is Game 4.

San Antonio held a 29-point lead and appeared headed toward tying the series 2-2. Instead, the Knicks stormed back to win, after a deadly turnover from a misplaced pass to Stephon allowed the Knicks to take a commanding 3-1 lead. After the Finals loss, Wembanyama called it the biggest lesson of his basketball life. He acknowledged that the Spurs were not ready to be champions yet and emphasized that the pain of losing would help drive his development.