Knicks End 53-Year Title Drought, Beat Spurs 94-90 to Win 2025-26 NBA Championship

The New York Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA championship on Saturday night, ending a 53-year title drought, and the celebration quickly spilled into Manhattan. In a post late Saturday night in New York, the NBA’s official Bluesky account declared: “THE CELEBRATION HAS STARTED IN CENTRAL PARK!! THE NEW YORK KNICKS ARE YOUR 2025-26 NBA CHAMPIONS.”

New York clinched the title with a 94-90 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The Knicks won the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Jalen Brunson delivered the clincher, scoring 45 points, according to AP. That set a Knicks franchise record for points in an NBA Finals game, breaking the previous mark of 38 set by Willis Reed in 1970.

Central Park figured directly into the immediate reaction because it was not just an impromptu gathering point. The Knicks and city officials had organized an official watch party for the road game at Wollman Rink in Central Park, alongside two other viewing sites: Plaza 33 outside Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall. CBS New York reported that thousands of fans attended or queued for the watch parties.

Ahead of Game 5, officials said security was being coordinated for those events after earlier Finals watch parties had already raised crowd-control concerns. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said before the game: “NEW YORK: Tonight, Knicks fans across our city will come together at Plaza 33 outside MSG, Radio City Music Hall, and Wollman Rink to watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals. My administration is proud to work with the Knicks to support these watch parties. As we celebrate, be responsible, look out for one another, stay safe, be smart, and make this a night that reflects the very best of our city. Let’s go Knicks.”

The title is a major moment for New York sports because the Knicks had not won an NBA championship since 1973. They entered Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead after a 107-106 victory in Game 4, when they erased a 29-point deficit, the largest comeback in NBA Finals history — a turnaround that became the clear pivot point of the series.