Knicks Claim NBA Cup Glory, But the Real Battle Is Just Beginning
The Knicks have done it - they’re NBA Cup champions. For the first time since the league introduced the in-season tournament, the Mecca of basketball finally has a title to celebrate. Their recent win over the San Antonio Spurs made them the third team to lift the Cup since the tournament’s inception, and while it’s not the Larry O’Brien Trophy, it’s a meaningful moment for a franchise hungry for success.
But if you think this group is basking in the glow of that victory for too long, think again.
Head coach Mike Brown and the Knicks aren’t treating the Cup win like a finish line. In fact, they’re already focused on the road ahead - and it’s a long one.
After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, this team has its eyes on something bigger. The Cup was a statement.
Now comes the real challenge: proving they can go even deeper when the playoffs roll around.
And here’s where history offers a caution flag.
The first two NBA Cup winners - the Lakers in Year 1 and the Bucks in Year 2 - didn’t exactly ride that momentum into the postseason. Both teams were bounced before reaching the conference finals, each falling in the second round. It’s a small sample size, sure, but it’s enough to raise the question: could the Knicks fall into the same trap?
Reggie Miller weighed in on that very topic during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. The Hall of Famer, and longtime Knicks nemesis, didn’t mince words when he pointed out the pattern.
“My only cautionary tale to this is the last two winners of this tournament never got past the second round,” Miller said. “Again, this is an early sample size but the Lakers didn’t get past the second round two years ago. Milwaukee didn’t get past the second round a year ago.”
Now, context matters. The Lakers ran into a buzzsaw in the Denver Nuggets, who were defending champions and looked every bit the part.
That series ended in a 4-1 gentleman’s sweep. The Bucks, meanwhile, were derailed by injuries - most notably losing Damian Lillard - and ran into an Indiana Pacers team that played with house money and a touch of magic, knocking off everyone in their path except the Thunder.
So yes, the Knicks could face a similar fate. But Miller, for one, doesn’t think they will.
“To me the Knicks are a better team than those last two champions, I believe,” he said. “And the East is not as dominant as the West, so I think the Knicks are sitting pretty good right now.”
That’s a fair assessment. The Knicks currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the red-hot Detroit Pistons - a team that’s turned heads as a surprise contender.
But the Knicks have been the more consistent, battle-tested squad. And if their Cup performance is any indication, they’re peaking at the right time.
Led by a core that includes Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, this team has found its rhythm. Brunson continues to be the engine, KAT is embracing his role in the frontcourt, and the supporting cast is doing the dirty work that wins playoff games. Add in Mike Brown’s steady hand on the sidelines, and the Knicks are built to weather the grind of the regular season - and more importantly, the postseason.
So yes, the Cup is a trophy worth celebrating. It’s a sign that the Knicks are no longer just a feel-good story or a team with potential - they’re a team that can win.
But the real test is coming. The East may not be as deep as the West, but it’s still filled with landmines.
The Celtics, the Heat, the Sixers - all capable of ending a season in six games or less.
The Knicks know that. And that’s why they’re not getting too comfortable.
For now, New York can enjoy the glow of a championship - any championship. But if this team wants to truly change the narrative, they’ll need to do what the Lakers and Bucks couldn’t: turn a midseason title into a springtime run that ends in June.
The Cup was a big step. The next one? That’s where legacies are made.