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New York Knicks owner James Dolan personally implored his team to lock in for an opportunity to win “a moniker on ourselves that will never, ever f—ing go away.” Ten weeks later, they did just that, becoming NBA champions for the first time in 53 years. A video of Dolan’s April 3 speech emerged on…

Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler is at odds with the team’s front office over the current handling of his restricted free agency, league sources told The Athletic. Kessler, the 24-year-old who was taken 22nd overall by the Jazz out of Auburn in 2022, was already known to be frustrated by Utah’s choice not to offer…

The Chicago Bulls have hired Tiago Splitter as their franchise’s next head coach, according to team and league sources who spoke to The Athletic on the condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not yet been made. Splitter, 41, took over as the Portland Trail Blazers’ interim head coach at the beginning of the…

The Bounce Newsletter  | This is The Athletic’s daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Yes, the NBA regular season is over. Yes, the playoffs are done. We have crowned a new champion. But now things are just getting started. The draft starts in eight days. We have a potential Giannis…

Album of the Week: “Cry Baby,” Vince Staples (2026) To everyone waking up at 7 in the morning: those aren’t pigs flying high on a joyride to heaven. Congratulations are in order for the New York Knicks! And most importantly, congratulations are in order for a team that is not the Knicks, Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets,…

The New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in more than half a century has spurred fans to go on a record-breaking shopping frenzy, according to sports merchandise giant Fanatics. The Knicks clinched the title by beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night to win the series…

SAN ANTONIO — Rick Brunson didn’t know Mike Brown. Not in the least. The coach whom he and his mini-mite son, Jalen, had known so well for decades, Tom Thibodeau, had been fired by the Knicks the month before. Never mind that he took New York to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time…

LeBron James has been underpaid before. Since he entered the NBA as “The Chosen One,” a No. 1 pick for the ages in 2003, he’s seen what’s happened to the league and the teams that employ him. Franchises have seen their valuations universally climb beyond $1 billion. He’s witnessed cable networks, national broadcasters and now…

“It’s over! It’s over! Knick fans, this is not a dream! Your long, long wait has ended! Go ahead and cry! After 53 years, the Knicks are finally NBA champions once again!” – Mike Breen at the end of Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals on ABC. ESPN announcer Mike Breen’s definitive line, “Go…

SAN ANTONIO — Defending champs. The New York Knicks spent the first day of the rest of their lives wearing that designation like a fancy new suit. It takes some getting used to, but it sure looks good in the mirror. The first time Jalen Brunson is asked about being the NBA’s defending champ entering…