OG Anunoby didn’t flinch when asked how he would have felt about LeBron James landing with the Knicks.
With James in the middle of a sweepstakes and New York reportedly viewed as a dark horse, Anunoby made it clear he would have been fine with it. He said, “If he wanted to join the team, then he could join,” Anunoby said.
“He could do whatever he wanted to. He's earned the right to choose his destination.
He's a legendary player. If he had wanted to come here, then, yeah, I'd welcome it.”
OG Anunoby talks about whether he would have welcomed the idea of LeBron James joining the Knicks 👀 pic.twitter.com/FuVmqu5QsG
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 28, 2026
The comment came after Anunoby’s championship run, even as people still bring up his game-winner in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. That moment, which capped a 29-point Knicks comeback, has already taken on a life of its own. It also earned Anunoby’s tip-in an ESPY for best play of the season.
Anunoby said the memory is still fresh, but he’s already locked onto what comes next. “I’m not over it as if I don’t care about it.
It’s more about that I’m ready for the next season,” Anunoby said. “It was fun winning a championship.
It was amazing. But we all want to do it again.
So it’s about getting ready to start the next season. Hopefully we can do it again.”
The Knicks’ 107-106 Game 4 win gave them a 3-1 lead, and they closed things out with a 94-90 Game 5 victory to eliminate the Spurs, 4-1.
Now the defending champion Knicks are set to host LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and the 76ers on Opening Night at Madison Square Garden, with the East shaping up around another competitive season.
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OG Anunoby only added to the intrigue when he said it would have been fun if James had ended up in New York instead. From the Knicks side, it is the sort of what-if that lingers because the front office has been the one making the big calls, while Jalen Brunson has stayed focused on the basketball rather than the drama around it. For now, the more immediate reality is that James is in Philadelphia, and the Knicks have to deal with the consequences of that every time the two teams are mentioned together. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Could Miss Out As Heat Eye Another Useful Veteran
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John Konchar is back in play after being waived by Minnesota, and Miami has been mentioned as a team with interest in the veteran wings shooting and experience. The cap picture gives the Heat some flexibility to keep hunting for help, and with the roster nearly set, the final move could still come from a player who has already popped up in their thinking before. [Read more 🡒]