Knicks in 5 🧡💙

I know I don’t look like a sports girlie. I certainly never played any sports in my lifetime, and I’m not exactly athletic, but I like watching them. LOL.

I grew up with a Dad who watched a variety of teams: the Cowboys, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I’ve never been one of those people who rolls their eyes and says, “sportsballl” or “go sports” whenever sports are on. I get the toxic masculinity aspect, trust me, I do, but women play sports too. And they’re actually really fucking good at them. Who would have thought? Imagine if we supported women’s sports as passionately as we support men's sports. New York has a women’s basketball team, hockey team AND soccer team. You’re welcome.

I never post much about sports, kind of like wrestling, unless I get to see it live, but I’ve always enjoyed them. I was telling Danny about a project I did in 5th grade where every student got assigned an NFL team to follow. Mine was the San Francisco 49ers. We tracked the season and, at the end, gave presentations on the state our team resided in. That’s what really made me pay attention to football, and it’s why I still have a special place in my heart for the 49ers. They had a great season, and little me was so proud of them.

While football has always been the sport I’ve watched the most and understand the best, I’m always interested in exploring a new era of fandom. I’ll admit, I hadn’t followed basketball much. All I really remembered from my childhood were Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, the dominant Chicago Bulls, and Shaq. That was until I started dating a Knicks fanatic. Ever since Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks, Danny has been excited about the team’s future. I started watching games with him and discovered that I actually enjoy basketball, even if I don’t fully understand all the rules yet.

I started joking that he loved Jalen Brunson more than me. Since 2020, the Knicks have steadily climbed the Eastern Conference standings. The team added key players like OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, and year by year they kept getting closer to making a real championship run. It had been so long since the Knicks were even part of the conversation, and suddenly they were making the playoffs year after year.

2026 felt different, though.
Something was in the air.
And that’s when I caught the fever.

If a girl like me, who barely knows anything and was mostly feeding off her boyfriend’s excitement, could feel it, then it was definitely real. This playoff run felt special. I did what Danny had been preaching all these years…

I believed.

Every round felt inevitable. We manifested every step of it. When the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals, I just knew they would make it to the NBA Finals. I could feel it in my bones. And once they stepped onto that court, I knew they’d become champions.

Unfortunately, Trump ruins EVERYTHING, as he always does, and we lost Game 3 of the series. Seriously, the Knicks were on a 13-game winning streak, but this man decided he needed to bring his negative ass energy to NYC and ruin the fun for everyone. I truly believe the Knicks could have and should have won that game. I mean, these guys erased a 29-point deficit with like seven minutes left in Game 4. They can do anything.

Unfortunately, that meant Game 5 happened on the one day of the series that Danny had to work and shoot wrestling. Sadly, we couldn’t experience the Finals win together. All three of us. Me, Danny, and my brother-in-law. I knew this was going to happen because he kept speaking it into existence lol. I wish he could have watched the game live, especially being the Knicks fan that he is, but alas, we do not always get what we want.

You have to have real perseverance to play in New York because everyone doubts us. Everyone hates us. They just do not want New York to be happy. LOL. Jalen Brunson has never been good enough according to everyone else. He is always too small (bro is 6'2", which is mad tall to me lol). He is apparently not athletic enough and not capable of leading a team to a championship. No one can ever just admit he is a phenomenal player. That the Knicks ARE a good team.

This team is a family. They are resilient, disciplined, and determined. Every single player wanted it. You do not win championships because of analytics. You win because of how badly you want it. I am already excited to see what they accomplish next season. Maybe we can finally make it to a game now that I am officially a real Knicks girlie. LOL.

I do not care if you call me a bandwagon fan or brand new because I have genuinely been excited about the playoffs for the past several years. Just wait until I start learning even more about Knicks history. It is over for all of you. I have Knicks merch now too, so it would honestly be a crime if I never made it to a game.

The city has been so ALIVE this past June. I have never seen NYC like this in my entire life. New Yorkers were smiling. People were happy. The vibes were immaculate. Everyone was upbeat. Everything was Knicks-themed. Bagels, ice cream, donuts, cookies, lattes, penne, pizza. You name it. Everything was orange and blue. Every building lit up in the iconic Knicks colors every single night. I genuinely felt like I was in Disneyland.

Obviously, I had to participate in the festivities. Danny is lucky I am passionate about these kinds of things because otherwise I do not know if he would actually get out and experience the celebration. I am the planner. I need the photos. I need the memories. I need to experience every second of it.

I saw Stoney Clover was having a Knicks pop-up, so I decided to take the day off since it was only happening during weekday work hours. I had major FOMO because thousands of Knicks posts were flooding my feed. My algorithm is basically just Knicks content now, and honestly it has been for months. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time lol.

I showed up early wearing my brand new Jalen Brunson Finals jersey that I ordered the night they won the Eastern Conference Finals. I kept telling Danny I was going to buy a Brunson jersey, but he thought I was joking. Now mine says "Finals" on the back because I promised myself I would buy one if they made it. I ordered it immediately because I knew those jerseys were going to disappear from the virtual shelves. I love that the NBA store already had everything stocked and ready the second they won. Now, I ask Danny all the time if he’s jealous of my Brunson jersey.

The pop-up was adorable. They had fro-yo with orange and blue sprinkles from Birdie’s, which they were giving away while everyone was waiting in line to get into the store. I was low-key devastated they did not have the cute froyo station on the day I went because, once again, FOMO. Inside the store was completely overwhelming. When I tell you I have been overstimulated for weeks because of this Finals run... girl. I was going THROUGH it. I wanted EVERYTHING. They had pre-made Knicks bags and pouches, cute patches you could add to any bag, glitter tattoos, shirts, sweatshirts, hats, keychains, basically anything your little fan girl heart could dream of. Another FOMO moment happened because they had the cutest "I Heart the Knicks" shirt, but only on a day I was not there. Now it has completely disappeared off the face of the earth.

There were stations to make bag charms, get pieces bedazzled, and have merch embroidered. I found a white Knicks hat and got the lettering rhinestoned. Doing the whole logo would have cost me a fortune. I originally wanted a blue hat and internally crashed out about it, but I persevered. I also regretted not buying more keychains and a Knicks patch. At least Danny and I squeezed into the photo booth together.

For someone like me, who gets incredibly stubborn and wants every experience to go exactly according to plan, it was a lot. Sometimes things do not go perfectly, and that is okay. At least that is what I tell myself. My inner demon completely disagrees. Afterward, we went to NoHo for the Liberty Bagels Knicks bagel. I was not ending this season without trying one. Luckily, the Jalen Brunson mural was nearby too. It was offensively hot, but I accomplished everything I wanted to do.

My wallet has taken a significant hit because of this Finals run. An official NBA Finals jersey. Knicks “black and white” cookies from Dana's Bakery. Knicks donuts from Doughnut Plant. A white and a blue Knicks knit corset top from Hype and Vice. The classic Knicks logo patch from Stoney Clover after they finally put merch online. Believe bracelets from Little Words Project. Do not worry. It gets worse…

Danny suggested we do the Madison Square Garden tour since the Knicks season was over. We got to see the locker room, although you obviously cannot actually walk into it. I don’t know why I thought you could. I was also disappointed they had removed the players' nameplates since it was the offseason. The tour itself was actually really interesting. Our guide had great stories, and I honestly do not think it deserved all those two-star reviews lol.

The best part was getting into the MSG Store. I thought it was hilarious that there was basically no Rangers merch anywhere. Straight Knicks. I found a black Stoney Clover fanny pack with the new Knicks patch already attached. Yes, I bought it. Then I noticed they were selling the patches separately at the register. SCORE. Now I own both patches. I still have absolutely no idea what I am putting them on. I also grabbed a cute Knicks pouch from FOCO.

Then I was unleashed inside the NBA Store. Shockingly, I only bought the blue Knicks hat I had been looking for. I may or may not rhinestone it. I warned Danny that if I get started, he might come home to every single thing he owns covered in rhinestones.

The boys also did some damage. Shirts, hats, sweatshirts, keychains, Finals patches. My brother-in-law even ordered the championship shirt that honestly looks like it was designed for the Spurs because I genuinely think the NBA expected them to win. Jokes on them. The Knicks had to beat the Spurs, the referees, the commissioner, and the league itself. You could tell they wanted a Game 7 and wanted Wemby to become the league's golden child. I also cannot stand the black and gold Knicks championship merch. It is so ugly and has absolutely no business existing for the Knicks.

Danny also has Brunson, KAT, and other Finals trading cards coming, along with SLAM magazines. I bought the SLAM magazine with OG after that insane Game 4 performance since I could see how much Danny wanted it, but has bills to pay too lol. This house is overflowing with Knicks merch, and honestly I am not mad about it.

We also had another full Knicks day. We went to the Upper East Side to visit The Stoop and City before it switched over from Knicks decorations to World Cup. Naturally, I had another internal fashion meltdown because I did not own a Knicks bag or a bag that matched the aesthetic at this time in the celebrations. Then I started questioning my baggy denim jeans because I really do not think I am THAT girl. I’m not sure I like this trend. I really need denim bell bottoms instead. I ended up wearing my black Popflex bell bottoms because it was way too hot for the jersey. Since I didn’t own any Knicks shirts, I wore my orange Buff Bunny crop top instead. Then the sneakers became a problem.

I wanted comfortable shoes, but all I have are hot pink sneakers and clunky Converse. Girl. They completely threw off the outfit. I desperately need white sneakers. At least I had my Knicks hat... right? I seriously need to stop crashing out because an outfit does not perfectly match. It is absolutely psychotic behavior.

Anyway, we also stopped at Yogurt Club and Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, which is somehow no longer in SoHo and still not in Brooklyn. Everything keeps leaving us. I am still devastated that Dinosaur BBQ closed in Brooklyn, and now, the only location near us is in Harlem. Danny randomly found a Knicks ESPN magazine in a convenience store, so overall it was a successful day.

It has been a month of nonstop Knicks celebrations, and honestly I would not have had it any other way. The happiness and excitement I felt this month is something I have not experienced in a very long time. For a little while, it almost made me forget that I was grieving and depressed. The Knicks gave me something to believe in when I had not felt hopeful in months. I am so grateful I got to experience a Knicks championship during my lifetime, especially with Danny and my brother-in-law. I know how much this meant to them, to the city, and now to me too. It reminded me why I love New York so much, despite everyone constantly telling me not to.

I think that is what I will remember most about this entire playoff run. It was never just about basketball. It gave me a reason to get out of the house, explore the city, collect little memories, and experience the kind of joy that had felt impossible after losing Austin.

Grief has a way of making your world feel incredibly small. Somewhere between the orange and blue bagels, the murals, the merch, the photo booths, and all of my completely unnecessary shopping trips, my world started feeling a little bigger again.

Life will never look the way it did before, and there are still days when losing him completely knocks the wind out of me. But this month reminded me that happiness can still find you, even when you are not looking for it. It reminded me that there are still things worth getting excited about, still memories worth making, and still reasons to say yes to experiencing life. Who knew the New York Knicks would end up teaching me that? Now if they could just do it all again next season, that would be great.

I think this whole experience has also made me want to embrace sports even more. Maybe I will finally make it to a Mets game during Bark at the Park. Maybe I will finally see the Giants play the Cowboys. Maybe I will finally make it to a hockey game, both men's and women's. Maybe I will finally see the Knicks and the Liberty play in person. More than anything, I just feel motivated to keep exploring and saying yes to experiences I have always wanted to have but kept putting off.

Maybe that is the greatest thing the Knicks gave me this season. They reminded me that life keeps moving forward. It does not erase the grief, and it never will, but it showed me that joy and heartbreak can exist at the same time. I can miss my brother every single day while still finding new things to get excited about.

And I think he would have wanted that for me.